Philippines Fighting Pride MANNY PACQUIAO

November 19, 2006 Sunday

Manny Pacquiao Won!
click here for manny pacquiao and erik morales statistics


LAS VEGAS -- It may not be the fight on the horizon right now, but Manny Pacquiao’s manager, Shelly Finkel, believes that the next step for the Filipino ring sensation should be Marco Antonio Barrera.

“It’s the best fight for [Pacquiao] right now,” said Finkel, reacting to reports that a fight with WBC super featherweight champion Barrera is far from the picture.

Top Rank Promotions, which recently won the tug-of-war to promote Pacquiao, is not too keen on the fight and plans another bout in Macau against a still unnamed opponent.

“This [Barrera tiff] is the fight that can bring in the money for Manny,” said Finkel.

Barrera, part of the trinity of Mexican boxing gods that Pacquiao had all sent to the canvas, is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions

The outfit had tried to lure Pacquiao away from the Bob Arum-headed Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao’s fights.

Top Rank has hinted that the Macau bout could be against Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero.

Finkel said there are a lot of creases to be ironed before a Barrera match can be worked out. On top of that list is the impending lawsuit Golden Boy is set to file against Top Rank anytime this week.

“There’s going to be a lawsuit for sure and it’s sad because Manny doesn’t need these kind of things at a time when he should be on top of the world,” Finkel said.

A source said Golden Boy has an air-tight case against Top Rank because it holds a contract signed by Pacquiao. Golden Boy signed Pacquiao to a seven-fight deal last September when Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles to train for his Grand Finale bout against Erik Morales.

Pacquiao won that fight last Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Thomas & Mack Arena, sending the Mexican sensation known as “El Terrible” thrice to the canvas, the last at the 2:57 mark of the third round that ended the fight.

After the match, Arum announced that Top Rank was keeping Pacquiao after the two parties agreed to a four-year deal.

Valero who?

On paper, Venezuelan Edwin Valero is the world’s strongest puncher in his class. He knocked out his first 18 opponents in the first round, surpassing the previous best of 15 consecutive first-round KOs posted by Young Otto.

Mexican Genaro Trazancos ended Valero’s streak by surviving until the second round last March.

Valero won the WBA super featherweight title by besting Panamanian Vicente Mosquera via a 10th round TKO. This he did after surviving a third-round knockdown. In January 2004, Valero failed a brain scan in New York and was banned from fighting in the United States. The abnormalities detected are a result of head injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident in 2001.