Team Pacquiao: All the Right Moves

One of the first things Pinoy boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao did after he dusted (in Tagalog, pinaspasan) Erik Morales last Sunday was announce he was relinquishing the earlier deal he struck with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions to renew his contract with Bob Arum and Top Rank Productions.

Many may think the last thing Pacman needs at this point is another drawn-out legal distraction, but many don’t give Team Pacquiao the credit they deserve for their moves outside the ring, which are just as good as those inside it.

Consider, for instance: as Sammy Rozenberg of boxingscene.com wrote in his online column at Fox Sports immediately following the Pinoy ring idol’s heart-breaking demolition of the Mexican ring icon, the biggest money bout for Manny at this point would be a rematch against Marco Antonio Barrera, whom he thoroughly dominated in his career defining fight in 2003.

With the way Pacman demolished El Terrible, Barrera’s handlers may not be too keen for a rematch with Manny, citing a March HBO pay-per-view date already on the calendar. Even if the WBC did order Barrera to make a mandatory defense against the winner of The Grand Finale, Rozenberg is not sure there’s enough time left to promote such a big fight, considering the proximity of the Christmas holidays.

But even if Pacquiao-Barrera II doesn’t happen, Rozenberg believes Team Pacquiao need not get upset considering the number of other talents in the super featherweight (130-lbs) limit who are just itching to get a crack at the Pacman.

There’s his unfinished business with WBA/IBF featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Marquez whom he fought to a controversial draw following his destruction of Barrera in 2003. Rozenberg considers Marquez a ‘great opponent” because he also has a huge Mexican following like ‘El Terrible’ and “he can fight.”

Seen in the light of this two possible big money fights, Team Pacquiao’s move to repudiate their contract with Golden Boy Promotions begins to make a lot of sense. It’s not just healthy to have Oscar holding all the contenders under his stable.

I, for one, don’t believe it would be in the best interests of Team Pacquiao that de la Hoya be holding the strings of their ward as well as those of his two biggest money opponents. Boxing being what it is (as Brian Viloria has learnt to his sorrow), there’s a good chance the Pacman could find himself in a career path not to his liking, and which may prove to be his undoing.

Thus, Mark Vester of the same boxingscene.com website reports that Arum told reporters in a post fight interview that he is hoping to put together a possible showdown between Pacman and undefeated power-puncher Edwin Valero of Venezuela next March in Macau.

Valero (20-0, 20KOs), the WBA super featherweight champion, holds the record for 18 straight first round knockouts, with only two of his victims lasting longer than one round, but eventually getting closer looks at canvass the same way El Terrible saw it up close and personal three times last Sunday.

Both Vester and Rozenberg believe that while Barrera and Marquez may bring more hype and thus money to the pot, the recent turn of events make those two big money bouts next to impossible in the near future, with the battles more likely to be fought in court rather than the ring.

Other options in the immediate horizon include undefeated IBF champion Joan Guzman, whom Rozenberg rates with great stamina, but lacking in real power. Another is Humberto Soto who is undefeated since 2002 but considers him a risk to Pacman since his dollar drawing power is suspect.

Team Pacquiao would also do well to listen to Rozenberg’s unsolicited advice not to look for fights at 135, because Pacman is just way too small for the top fighters at the weight. Recall how Manny started his career at 112 lbs, or 17 lbs ago, and the 22 lbs leap to 135 might just be his undoing.

I personally believe Team Morales already asked El Terrible to hang up his gloves following his 10th round TKO to Pacman last January but that Mexican machismo won the day and eventually lost the war. I do believe Manny is more perceptive than Erik regarding such matters and the temptation of a sure seat in the Senate next year might be all the incentive he needs to retire.

He’s a shoo-in once he decides to throw his hat in the political ring while he’s at the top of his game but once his fortunes start going downhill, he knows that chance may never come again. Victory truly has many fathers and defeat is indeed a very lonesome orphan, as his paisano Rolando Navarette and the poor Luisito Espinosa have found to their sorrow.

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