PACQUIAO TO CANADA-BASEDFILIPINOS: THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITH AND SUPPORT
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 10 Dec 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Before he left for the Philippines via Los Angeles, California on December 8, Manny Pacquiao thanked Filipinos now living in Canada "for their faith in me and for the support they have given me."
Pacquiao acknowledged the support of the Filipino community in North America saying many of them flew all the way from Vancouver to here just to watch his fight against Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand.
He recalled that he had vowed to visit Vancouver in August for a benefit concert, among other purposes, but the trip did not materialize due to changes the schedule of his fight.
After disposing of in the ninth round David Diaz for the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight championship on June 28 here, Pacquiao's promoters had hinted his next fight, a defense of the WBC 135 lbs, would be in Vancouver against number one-ranked contender Edwin Valero of Venezuela.
But the whole picture changed after Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions agreed to sign up De La Hoya in a "Dream Match" against the world's best boxer pound-for-pound thus the Vancouver card had been scrapped.
In a meeting with Vancouver-based Philippine Asian News Today publisher Reynaldo Fortaleza in the post press conference of the "Dream Match", Pacquiao, however, said "he was open to the idea" of suggesting to this promoters to stage his next fight in Vancouver if his his promoters would not bring it to London, England where he would be reportedly facing Ricky Hatton, Great Britain's version of "Golden Boy" tentatively in March.
Pacquiao admitted that he was aware of the "all-out" support of his compatriots in Canada although a few of them had cast doubts on his capability to tackle the taller and heavier 10-time world champion in six different weigth divisions.'
Pacquiao is well-loved by Filipino fans in Canada and they have been anticipating his arrival either to do a concert or to fight since August, said Fortaleza.
Meanwhile, several Filipino-Canadians have signified their "strong" interest to support the proposed holding of a professional boxing card in Canada with Fortaleza and North Cotabato vice governor Emmanuel Pinol as the prime movers next year.
Pinol, president of the Braveheart Boxing Stable based in Mindanao, Philippines, made an initial talk with Fortaleza recently and they plan to hold the promotion on a quarterly basis which will romp off in Vancouver and will go to Manitoba, Montreal and Toronto.
"We will lay the groundworks and start with a small card," disclosed Pinol who predicts that at least three of his wards will fight for world title in 2009.
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