PACQUIAO WON?T FIGHT IN JIN CHI
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 06 Feb 2007
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum revealed this morning that the April 28 fight between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and WBC featherweight champion In Jin Chi is off.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Arum said ?we have decided to move the fight up to April 21 because he (Manny) may not be able to train as much as he would like to so we will go with another opponent because of all this political stuff.?
Despite the fact that Pacquiao has made no announcement about his political plans, reports persist that he plans to run in his hometown of General Santos City either for Mayor or for a seat in the house of representatives despite an overwhelming demand that he stay away from politicals, at least for the next two or three years.
Arum said he was ?finalizing everything with the new opponent today? and will announce that tomorrow or Wednesday. At the same time Arum debunked earlier reports that Pacquiao would fight a South African saying ?no, we are not even looking. I don?t know any South Africans.? The decision not to take on the rugged In Jin Chi who gave Erik Morales a terrific fight some years ago and has never been knocked down or knocked out was obviously prompted by the fear of an upset against a tough opponent especially in the face of Pacquiao's inability to train hard like he normally does.
The Top Rank promoter said the fight with Pacquiao as the main event will be held at the Alamadome in Texas which was the scene of Pacquiao?s demolition of Marco Antonio Barrera in November 2003. He said US-based Filipino-American Brian Viloria will fight for the vacant WBC light flyweight title against Edgar Sosa after champion Omar Nino was stripped of his crown for testing positive for a banned substance after he retained the title he won from Viloria in a rematch. Also on the card will be Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, the son of the Mexican legend in what Arum described as ?an all-star and a helluva event.?
At the same time Arum disclosed that lawyer Franklin ?Jing? Gacal was with him and that they were ?working on the lawsuit.? Golden Boy Promotions has sued Arum for ?tortuous interference? in a Los Angeles court after Top Rank signed Pacquiao to a four-year deal some two months after Pacquiao signed a seven fight contract with Golden Boy Promotion?s Oscar De La Hoya. Arum has asked a Las Vegas court to decide on which contract was valid.
As a result of the legal battles HBO has decided to stay away from Pacquiao?s fights for the time being which has forced Arum to distribute the pay-per-view fight on his own. Arum earlier indicated he was talking to ABS-CBN about the possibility of distributing the fight internationally on The Filipino Channel, TFC.
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