No Word on Pacquiao?s Next Opponent
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 20 Aug 2012
MANILA (PNA) ? Eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao could have already announced as of today who he will battle next, but 15 days before the scheduled press conference to promote his November 10 fight, the international boxing community still is awaiting what his ?decision? will be.
Three names have been floated around since the Filipino ring icon lost his World Boxing Organization welterweight title to American Timothy Bradley June this year ? Bradley himself, Mexican legend Juan Manual Marquez, who he had beaten twice in three meetings, and Miguel Cotto, the last man he beat by stoppage.
But up to now, a good two weeks before the multi-city presscon to hype the fight and two weeks after he met with his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, a decision has yet to be made.
Instead, a case of the carriage first before the horse announcement that Pacquiao will not start his training camp in mountain resort Baguio City, breaking a three-year long tradition he has been practicing since stopping Cotto in 2009, was made a little less than a week ago by Arum himself.
Arum, in a statement attributed to him, said his ward will proceed straight to the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood in Los Angeles following the media tour to be devote his eight-week build up at the Freddie Roach-owned sweat shop.
"After the press tour, Manny will go straight to the Wild Card," Arum was quoted as saying by media men.
Pacquiao, who started as a 108-pound campaigner in 1995 but went on to win eight world crowns in as many weight categories, has yet to make official Arum?s pronouncement although speculations are going wild that the move, whoever initiated it, is to prepare him the best way possible for him to regain the form that was absent in his last five against Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Marquez and Bradley, who he bested one after the other via decisions.
The showdown against Marquez, the last of what was a trilogy, ended with the Filipino barely surviving, winning by a split decision. Everybody except two of the three judges, believed Pacquiao won handily over Bradley last June 9 only to lose via a questionable split verdict despite displaying his most impressive performance in years that was short of knocking the American out.
Several boxing writers though expressed belief that the move was to take the 33-year-old Pacquiao, father of four to wife Jinkee, away from the only remaining distraction that affected his preparations prior to his encounter with Bradley ? his latest pre-occupation, deeply involving him in bible study and preaching, which, at first, gladdened Roach because as a result, his pupil of more than a decade had dispensed with his destructive vices as womanizing, gambling and drinking.
?At least, he is now with God,? the Hall of Fame trainer often told his media men audience in response to queries as to what he thought about Pacquiao?s abrupt transformation.
It looked like Roach spoke too son though. Memorizing bible verses and the subsequent preaching activities Pacquiao involved himself in almost nightly from Baguio to Los Angeles where he pitched camps before fighting Bradley took plenty of his time, too, that he appeared tired during practice sessions.
Pacquiao even included 36 members of his new congregation plus a 12-member Philippine National Police choir to Los Angeles and Las Vegas plus to assist him in his nightly prayer meetings.
Roach, in an interview with this writer after the former pound-for-pound best?s defeat to Bradley, said that Pacquiao must prepare well for his next fight, stay focused in training and, if possible, totally stop his religious activities while preparing.
?All of us have Manny?s welfare in mind. And if members of his flock are thinking of his welfare, then they must voluntarily leave him alone and not serve as distraction while Manny is preparing himself for a fight,? he said. ?Manny is, after all, a fighter who must get all the rest he needs before a fight. They should give him that.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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