PACQUIAO-SOTO SEEMS LIKELY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 24 May 2007
With Golden Boy Promotions holding the key to the big-name fighters in the super featherweight division, Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao’s options of a lucrative fight are limited.
The easiest fight for Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum to make would be a battle between Humberto Soto who he handles and in fact won a title eliminator against Ivan Valle last August 12 and Pacquiao whose younger brother Bobby Pacquiao clashes with Soto at Madison Square Garden on June 9 with Manny himself expected to be at ringside.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today some weeks ago that Arum was positioning a Pacquiao-Soto fight as one where the exciting southpaw from General Santos City will seek to avenge his younger brother’s defeat. Schaefer said this was obvious.
In fact Arum has always included Soto as a possible opponent in his run-down of fighters who could take on the devastating punching machine on an October 6 date which Arum says he has set aside for Pacquiao.
Greg Leon of Boxing Talk who is reportedly close to Arum has said that Top Rank “is obviously hoping a terrific fight between Manny Pacquiao and Humberto Soto can get finalized shortly after Soto slices up Bobby Pacquiao on June 9.”
Most boxing analysts and fight fans believe that no matter how confident Bobby Pacquiao sounds there is a very slim chance of him overcoming Soto who is ranked No. 2 behind Manny Pacquiao for the super featherweight title currently held by Juan Manuel Marquez.
While both Marquez and Pacquiao say they want a rematch the fight it is unlikely to happen as long as the legal battle between Golden Boy and Top Rank continues and the animosity refuses to subside. Marquez is under contract to Golden Boy. Besides, Arum has claimed that Marquez can’t draw the fans and it wont make sense for Pacquiao, financially even as Arum virtually ruled out a purse bid even if WBC president Jose Sulaiman alters the current 75-25 percent ratio in favor of the champion, Marquez.
PhilBoxing.com Special News Coverage: PACQUIAO vs SOTTO.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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