TEAM PACQUIAO MEMBER: NO TO PACQUIAO-SOTO FIGHT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 12 Jul 2008
CEBU CITY -- A close associate of Manny Pacquiao isn't pleased with the development of Pacquiao's fall fight where it is now reported that Mexican Humberto Soto would take Valero's place on November 15.
Speaking on condition of anonimity, the source said that if Arum could not make a meaningful fight for Pacquiao in November, it is better to forego the fight and wait for the result of the fights involving Hatton-Malignaggi, Campbell-Guzman, Casamayor-Marquez and Diaz-Katsidis to make for a more compelling fight for Pacquiao sometime early next year.
"If Pacquiao-Diaz did not do well in the gate and in the PPV sales, what more with the Pacquiao-Soto pairing? It is a dry fight, high risk and very low reward kind of fight that I think Manny should not take," the source said. "I also feel the same with the Valero fight -- that fight will not really sell."
When told that there are reports that the WBA-WBO-IBF lightweight champion Nate Campbell is willing to ditch his fight with Guzman if a fight with Pacquiao can be arranged, the source said "if that fight could be made then that is the fight that Pacquiao should take -- for the money and for historical reasons."
"I know that Arum is the best promoter out there but I just feel that he should not do the Pacquiao-Soto fight right now," the source concluded.
Soto was coming off from a controversial disqualification loss agasint Francisco Lorenzo last June 28 and had been schooled by Joan Guzman over twelve rounds during their fight last year. The only compelling angle for a Pacquiao-Soto fight is Soto's knockout win over Pacquiao's brother Bobby in June last year but that probably is already too distant a memory for most of the fans.
Undoubtedly Pacquiao's biggest fight out there would be against British superstar Ricky Hatton if Hatton gets past Malignaggi in November. Hatton was quoted as saying that he would like to end his career fighting in front of 100,000 of his fans in Britain. A Pacquiao-Hatton fight could presumably make more than $20M for each fighter.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
76ers star Paul George has been suspended for 25 NBA games by doping
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Fit To Be Unified: Xander Zayas Defeats Abass Baraou To Unify Junior Middleweight World Titles
Sun, 01 Feb 2026Fit To Be Unified: Xander Zayas Defeats Abass Baraou To Unify Junior Middleweight World Titles
Sun, 01 Feb 2026Trazo beats Jabagat in Talisay
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Into fights Sanchez on Feb. 9 at Villa Kristen
By Lito delos Reyes, Sun, 01 Feb 2026Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: Styles Make Fights Fitting Cliche
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Bryan Flores Wins Majority Decision Over Starling Castillo in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
Sat, 31 Jan 2026KinetixSports Legacy Run on March 1
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 31 Jan 2026THE RING 6: OFFICIAL WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER FOR TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON
Sat, 31 Jan 2026Legendary Soccer Player Sergio Ramos to make professional boxing debut
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Weigh-In Results: Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou
Sat, 31 Jan 2026Teofimo vs Shakur Fight Analysis
By Ralph Rimpell, Sat, 31 Jan 2026Rohan Polanco-Christian Gomez Welterweight Showdown Canceled
Sat, 31 Jan 2026NEWCASTLE WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER CONFIRMED AS MURTAZALIEV AND KELLY CLASH FOR WORLD TITLE
Fri, 30 Jan 2026Boxers Make Weight for Brico Santig’s Exciting 21-Bout Promotion in Thailand (PHOTOS)
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 30 Jan 2026