WBO TO AWARD SPECIAL CHAMPIONSHIP BELT TO WINNER OF PACQUIAO-MARQUEZ IV
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Oct 2012
HOLLYWOOD, FL ? In one of its first resolutions right after the election of officers during the WBO 25th Silver Jubilee Convention held at the Seminile Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tuesday, the WBO has approved the awarding of a special championship belt to the winner of the Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez fourth fight scheduled on Dec. 8, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
Reelected WBO president Francisco 'Paco' Valcarcel, acting on an earlier recommendation from WBO Vice-President for Asia-Pacific region Leon Panoncillo Jr, explained to the WBO executive committee that ?since both Pacquiao and Marquez are two of the most dominant boxers in the last decade, the WBO will name the winner of their fourth fight as 'WBO Champion of the Decade'? and a special belt will be created for this purpose. After some discussion and clarification from some of its members, the motion was unanimously approved.
?Since there was a major controversy in Pacquiao's last fight against Bradley, this action will show that the WBO cares for Pacquiao and hopefully this will appease Pacquiao personally and to his thousands of fans,? Panoncillo Jr told the executive committee. Pacquiao earlier lost his WBO welterweight belt to Timothy Bradley of the United States via split decision in a fight where most experts, writers and fans saw Pacquiao easily winning the fight by dominating Bradley the entire fight. Two of the official judges however had different scores and saw Bradley winning over Pacquiao. The WBO afterwards appointed three of their judges to review and re-score the fight and all the three judges saw Pacquiao winning the fight.
Pacquiao and Marquez, who previously fought 36 hotly contested rounds in three meetings, will not fight for any regular title for their upcoming fight since it will be under the welterweight division and neither currently possesses any belt in that division.
Both Pacquiao and Marquez are currently in camp for their upcoming fight, Marquez, in Mexico and Pacquiao, in his hometown in General Santos City, Philippines.
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