ARUM VERY DISAPPOINTED OVER PACQUIAO?S DEFEAT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 May 2007
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says he is ?very disappointed? over Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao?s defeat in the battle for the lone congressional seat of South Cotabato where all reports indicate incumbent Darlene Antonino Custodio has scored an overwhelming victory.
The major television networks ABS-CBN and GMA 7 had Custodio leading comfortably while a correspondent of the government network NBN said it looked like a big win for Custodio. The lawyer of the articulate, intelligent and charming young congresswoman, Sixto Brillantes, said he had spoken to both the congresswoman and her mother and was informed that it was all over and Pacquiao had been soundly beaten.
Attempts to contact Pacquiao as well as his lawyer Franklin ?Jeng? Gacal proved futile amidst claims that his camp had discovered some alleged irregularities in the election returns. GMA 7 reporter Lala Roque said Pacquiao told her he could accept defeat if he loses fair and square and there was no cheating.
Meantime, one of the prominent Team Pacquiao members Jake Joson said Pacquiao had told him that in case he lost ?nothing would change, he would resume boxing and earn big money but he felt sorry for the people because he could have done so much for them.?
In an exclusive overseas telephone interview with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Arum didn?t hide his feelings saying ?I really thought he would have been great for the country and it wouldn?t have hurt his career. I am just very, very disappointed.?
Asked where do they go from here Arum replied ?I mean the boxing is the boxing? and disclosed that a fight date of October 6 had been set and he was scouting for a likely opponent among Marco Antonio Barrera, Joan Guzman, Edwin Valero and Bobby Pacquiao.
Some members of Team Pacquiao in Los Angeles also felt disappointed over Pacquiao?s loss while many fight fans who right along expressed their objections to his running for congress at this time indicated they were hoping Pacquiao would now concentrate like never before on his boxing career. The consensus was that Pacquiao should go after the big names in the 130 pound division one after the other and reinforce his standing as the most exciting fighter in the world today and the No. 1 on the pound-for-pound list.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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