ARUM SAYS PACQUIAO-HATTON IS A REALITY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 06 Jan 2008
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says a fight between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and Britain?s Ricky ?Hitman? Hatton is ?a reality? but warned that to get to Hatton ?he?s got to win? against Juan Manuel Marquez on March 15.
In an overseas telephone conversation Friday morning (Manila Time) with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Arum who was named ?Promoter of the Year? for 2007 by the pre-eminent boxing TV network HBO said he was having lunch with Pacquiao at one of the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel & Casino restaurants when HBO president Ross Greenberg called and Arum put Pacquiao on the line to wish him a happy new year.
Arum said ?it was funny because he (Greenberg) was together with the Ricky Hatton people for lunch in New York and they were talking about fighting Manny at the end of the year. So that?s a reality.?
Arum said Pacquiao now knows that he has ?the opportunity to really make history.? He said in addition to fighting Marquez for the WBC super featherweight title, he will be fighting for the lightweight title and the 140 pound title. This could be a big year for him but he?s got to win this fight (against Marquez)?.
Arum predicted it would be ?a tough, tough fight? but was obviously pleased that Pacquiao was ?so relaxed now and was a good family man the entire trip? with his wife Jinkee and their three children during the holiday season in Las Vegas. Arum said ?I never saw him so focused.?
He disclosed that Pacquiao who arrived in Manila early Saturday morning aboard a Philippine Airlines is ?going to return on January 13? to begin training at celebrated trainer Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
A few hours after his arrival, Pacquiao loosened up and had a light workout at the local Wild Card Gym of his former business manager Rod Nazario. Pacquiao told us he would return to LA as promised on the 13th and was looking forward to a great year with fights lined up against Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and Ricky Hatton.
Pacquiao said he enjoyed the Las Vegas holiday with his family and acted as baby sitter and guide to his three kids since they didn?t take any maids along and wanted to be all by themselves.
Arum said he had planned a big publicity campaign to promote the fight and that he was looking to have Pacquiao as guest on the very popular Jay Leno show and would also ?take some time to go to San Francisco to do a press conference? making it clear that they will ?do a lot of things which don?t interfere with his training.?
He disclosed that Pacquiao ?really had a good time with his family and took his kids to see everything that Las Vegas has to offer including the shows. He was terrific. He enjoyed himself. It seems everybody was very happy.? Arum revealed that Pacquiao bought his charming wife Jinkee ?a lovely present for her birthday and so everything seems like its nice.?
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