SULAIMAN GIVES PACQUIAO SIX MONTHS BEFORE MARQUEZ
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 19 Apr 2007
WBC president Jose Sulaiman says he has given Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao a six month break to campaign for a congressional seat in May before facing reigning super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez in a mandatory title fight.
In an overseas telephone conversation from his home in Mexico City with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Sulaiman said Marquez would be allowed one more title defense before the eagerly awaited rematch with Pacquiao.
Sulaiman who was at special ringside for Pacquiao’s eighth round KO victory over previously undefeated but unknown Jorge Solis said the Pacquiao people had spoken to him and told him they were “very happy to fight for the WBC title but they needed some time because he is running for congressional seat and he needs time and we decided to give him enough time - about six months.”
The WBC president will keep Pacquiao as the official challenger while authorizing one more title defense by Marquez which is expected to be on September 15 as previously disclosed to Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today by Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer who said the date had been agreed upon with HBO. Sulaiman said “we cannot freeze Marquez on something that he is not responsible for.”
Sulaiman said that after six months the WBC “will order the fight even if the courts have not made a decision because we will then go to a purse offer. Pacquiao and Marquez will love it because its an open offer and there will be a lot of money.”
Despite the legal battle between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank’s Bob Arum over the promotional rights to Pacquiao who first signed a seven fight contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s outfit in mid-September and then signed a four-fight deal with Arum two months later Sulaiman said “believe me that the fight will happen.”
At the same time the WBC president said a rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez was “much more important” than a rematch with Barrera. He said Barrera was “nothing any more. He was knocked out by Pacquiao very badly while Marquez after going down three times in the first round fought back in a fabulous fight.”
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