SOLAR SPORTS WILL AIR THE PACQUIO VS SOLIS BOUT
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 03 Mar 2007
MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- Solar Sports, the country's leading sports channel, will air the much-anticipated bout pitting Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten Mexican slugger Jorge Solis on April 14 (April 15 in Manila) at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
"Pacquiao is the pride of our nation. We can't afford not to show his next fight," said Solar Sports boss Peter Chanliong. It is also part of the channel's sustained effort to bring the world's biggest sporting events to Filipino households.
"We know that in our own little way, we're giving inspiration to our less fortunate countrymen. Pacquiao is a real-life people's champion and it is our duty to bring him closer to the people through our coverage," added Chanliong.
Aside from giving the blow-by-blow accounts of the fight, Solar Sports will also take a peek on the training camp of both fighters and hold viewing parties in malls and sports bars nationwide.
While Solis may not ring a bell in big time boxing, he certainly has the ability to answer the bell in his match against the acknowledged top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
His slate of 32-0-2 (win-loss-draw) with 23 knockouts spells danger to the Filipino champ.
"The fact that he's never been defeated in a professional fight is a testament of his toughness," noted Chanliong.
Boxing fans around the world seem to be thinking the same way. Tickets in the venue are selling like hot potatoes on the opening week.
A recent report from popular boxing website Fightnews reveals that nearly $500,000 worth of tickets have already been sold, making it the second-biggest opening weekend sale for a boxing event in San Antonio history.
It has surpassed the opening week ticket sales of Pacquiao's 2003 knockout victory over Marco Antonio Barrera.
Only the welterweight title fight between Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez in 1993 had a bigger opening.
"Not only is Manny Pacquiao boxing's pound-for-pound most exciting fighter, he is becoming boxing's pound-for-pound most popular superstar," said promoter Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank.
True. But the fans will not shell out as much as $300 just to see a bloody mismatch.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Marlon Bernardino.
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