PACQUIAO TO FIGHT RIOS IN MACAU ON NOVEMBER 24
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 07 May 2013
Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao fights Brandon ?Bam Bam? Rios in his return to the ring after a shocking 6th round knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena last December 8.
Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz told the Manila Standard ?the deal is done. It will be Rios?, the fighter Koncz himself preferred over the other contender, Mike ?Mile High? Alvarado.
Rios? manager Cameron Dunkin told us after an earlier meeting with Koncz and Top Rank president Todd duBeof that the negotiations were stalled since he felt a $3 million offer for Rios was too little.
While no details were announced on whether the purse offer for Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO?s) had been increased, indications are it was.
Dunkin confirmed the fight was done in a conversation this morning with the Manila Standard. He said ?it's a done deal. My guy is ready to go. Rios will fight anybody, anywhere. ?
At the same time the likeable manager said he was grateful to Pacquiao for giving Timothy Bradley his biggest payday ($5M) and added ?its an honor to fight Pacquiao.?
Rios himself had long announced his desire to face Pacquiao even before the eight division world champion lost a hugely controversial decision to Timothy ?Desert Storm? Bradley and now that he?s been given the chance, is expected to go flat out in training for the fight under 2012 ?Trainer of the Year? Robert Garcia.
The Rios showdown was the only viable alternative left for Pacquiao after Marquez inexplicably turned down a $13 million offer for a fifth fight with Pacquiao and instead chose to foight Bradley f or a lot less money because, Marquez claimed, ?he is a champion.?
Pacquiao, through Koncz, had also offered Bradley $6 million for a rematch but that too was turned down in favor of the fight with Marquez.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum plans a huge promotional tour in China where the popularity of boxing is growing rapidly with visits to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
After the initial success of his promotion at the Venetian Resort Hotel in a card packed with Filipino fighters and headlined by two time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Zou Shiming in which Brian Viloria lost his WBO/WBA flyweight titles to Mexico?s Juan Francisco Estrada, Top Rank returns to the Venetian on July 27 when undefeated Milan Melindo battles Estrada in a mandatory title shot in a card that will also see promising Genesis Servania and the Penalosa brothers Dodie Boy Jr and Dave in action.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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