JACA-MARQUEZ TITLE FIGHT IS OFF
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 01 Nov 2006
Jimrex Jaca’s manager Rex “Wakee” Salud says he has “committed” to have the Philippine super featherweight champion fight on the undercard of the Grand Finale rubber match between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and Erik “El Terrible” Morales at the Thomas & Mack Center on November 18 and as a result the once postponed WBO title fight against Juan Manuel Marquez is off.
In a long distance telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Salud, a close friend and reported confidant of Pacquiao claimed Golden Boy Promotions “did not notify me about the re-scheduling of the title fight after it was cancelled” last October 21 because of claims that Jaca couldn’t get his B1 visa on time from the US embassy. Salud said “they suddenly announced the fight will push through” which apparently caught him by surprise.
Salud said when the fight did not take place as scheduled on October 21 he tried to schedule a Philippine title defense on November 25 against Baby Lorona Jr but that fell through and he sought the help of Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to include Jaca on the Pacquiao-Morales undercard. Salud claimed they dropped one scheduled fight to make way for Jaca who would fight at a catch-weight of 131 pounds.
While acknowledging that fighting Marquez for the world title was “a big opportunity” Salud said he had “committed” that Jaca would fight on the Pacquiao-Morales card and indicated he couldn’t pullout.
Jaca who was in Dumaguete City according to Salud and weighed 138 pounds because he had stopped training would have no difficulty getting back into shape and making the 131 pound limit.
Should Salud push through with the Jaca fight on the Bob Arum promotion it is likely to further worsen the bitter rivalry between Arum and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions which appears to have twice suffered because of the cancellation of Jaca’s fight against Marquez. The title fight which was originally billed as the main event and a pay-per-view attraction on HBO was moved to November 25 and also scheduled on HBO but this time on its After Dark boxing show.
One of the complications resulting from the withdrawal of Jaca is that Golden Boy Promotions had petitioned for his B1 working visa for the Marquez fight and will almost surely inform the US embassy that the fight won’t take place and request that the visa be cancelled which would force Top Rank to obtain a visa for the Filipino southpaw.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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