MERCHANT SAYS GUZMAN MADE CASE FOR PACQUIAO FIGHT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 18 Nov 2007
Veteran HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant says undefeated WBO junior lightweight champion Joan Guzman has ?made his case to fight (Manny) Pacquiao" after an impressive twelve round decision over Humberto Soto hours ago.
In a post fight interview monitored by Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Merchant however said ?I?m not sure that he (Guzman) is high on Pacquiao?s list in the immediate future.?
Merchant also noted that since Bob Arum of Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions reached a truce some months ago, Guzman?s victory over Soto was the first by a Golden Boy fighter against a Top Rank opponent since Pacquiao had beaten Marco Antonio Barrera and Miguel Cotto defeated Sugar Shane Mosley last week.
Filipino ring idol Pacquiao is scheduled to fly to the US next week for a thanksgiving dinner with Arum at which they will decide on who Pacquiao?s next opponent would be in a fight scheduled for March 15 on the HBO calendar. De La Hoya himself has been pushing for a rematch with Marquez and has received the wholehearted support of WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman and even Games and Amusements Board chairman Eric Buhain has said he will support such a rematch.
Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer discussed a possible Pacquiao-Marquez rematch when they were in New York last weekend and Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that the talks were going well. Gomez said ?if anyone can make this fight happen its Richard (Schaefer)? who has made some big fights in the past.
Pacquiao didn?t watch the Guzman-Soto fight which was not shown on Philippine television. Besides he was busy shooting a movie in Nueva Ecija according to close friend and confidant Rex ?Wakee? Salud.
Guzman won 117-111 on the scorecards of two judges and 118-110 on the third. In terms of punch stats, Guzman landed 302 which was 110 more than Sotto and in terms of percentages he landed a high 44 percent. In power punches the WBO champion also dominated with 54 percent.With Floyd Mayweather Sr in his camp Guzman honed his defensive skills to look much like Floyd Mayweather Jr, the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world today.
Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis who was on the HBO panel said Guzman?s performance was ?great in the sense that he was able to stay away from Sotto?s power punches and he was really one step ahead all of the time and it was virtually an easy fight for him. He didn?t display anything that he hadn?t displayed in his past fights. He showed that his hands were still good and right now he needs to go to the next step? which is what Merchant believes could be a fight with Pacquiao.
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