No Pacman showdown for the ?Ghost-man?
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 22 Nov 2007
The revelation that Team Pacquiao is now negotiating for a possible crack at the WBC lightweight crown of David Diaz tentatively on March 15 next year has dashed to pieces the dream of WBO champion Joan Guzman to rumble with the hottest ring icon in the world today, Manny Pacquiao.
Report of the purported deal with Diaz, reportedly brokered by Top Rank?s Bob Arum, came less than 48 hours after media played up a possible showdown between Guzman and Pacquiao shortly after Guzman put away last Nov. 18 Humberto Soto, the remaining stumbling block in his desire to face the extremely popular Filipino lefty.
"I feel it was a great fight (vs Soto) and the better man won. The bad part for Bob was that the better man was me. Now if he really wants to test my boxing skills have him put his prized possession, Manny Pacquiao, up against me and watch me beat him as well,? sobbed Guzman as quoted by Lee Bates.
Guzman went on to say that if Pacquiao isn?t willing to get in the ring with him he will continue to fight the toughest opponents available for him at 130lbs.
If Pacquiao?s fight with Diaz materializes, boxing observers who continued to hanker for a rematch with WBC superfeatherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez might criticize the Team Pacquiao for its ?failure to settle the unsettled business in the 130lbs.?
WBC president Jose Sulaiman Cagnon had earlier urged Pacquiao to go for Marquez?s WBC jewels instead of invading the lightweight division ?too soon.?
Suggestions to fight Marquez first or Guzman, however, appeared to have been ignored by Team Pacquiao with the fresh revelation of a Diaz negotiation which Pacquiao business partner Rex (Wakee) Salud had vehemently denied in an interview with Philboxing web editor Dong Secuya.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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