lpinoy
12-02-2010, 04:28 PM
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Manny Pacquiao's 32nd birthday is on Dec. 17 and the pound-for-pound king will be picking out his own present -- his next opponent -- at about that time.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach will be in the Philippines for Pacquiao's birthday party, but aside from the celebration, they will also meet to discuss who Pacquiao will next fight.
Arum said that with Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of the picture due to his legal problems, Pacquiao's next fight will take place April 16, likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, against one of three opponents: Shane Mosley, welterweight titlist Andre Berto or lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez, who is 0-1-1 in two sensational fights with Pacquiao that could have gone either way.
Before Arum leaves for the Philippines he said he will get proposals from all three and then discuss them with Pacquiao and let him make a decision, although Arum said the contract weight will be 147 pounds with no room for any discussion.
"I will have all three proposals and I will sit with Manny in the Philippines when I'm there for his birthday and let him decide who he wants to fight," Arum told ESPN.com. "We'll go over everything because each fight has a different set of financial parameters. It's Manny's career, it's his life and he'll decide. Will I make a recommendation? Sure, but all it will be is a recommendation, and Freddie will have some input. I certainly don't act as a dictator."
Arum already has an agreement with Mosley, whom he began talking with just before going to Dallas for Pacquiao's destruction of Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13.
Mosley claims he is free from his Golden Boy promotional contract, although if he takes a fight with Top Rank he would likely have to give up his 5 percent equity stake in Golden Boy.
Arum and Lou DiBella, Berto's promoter, have been in touch regularly this week and DiBella said he was preparing a proposal for the fight.
Marquez is also with Golden Boy, Top Rank's bitter rival, but Golden Boy is willing to step aside and let Top Rank promote the fight in order to get Marquez the opportunity, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. He has been dealing with Top Rank president Todd duBoef on a potential deal.
"I had a very nice conversation with Todd and we subsequently exchanged some emails and that's all I'm really going to say," Schaefer said. "We said we would keep the discussions private."
ESPN.com
Manny Pacquiao's 32nd birthday is on Dec. 17 and the pound-for-pound king will be picking out his own present -- his next opponent -- at about that time.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach will be in the Philippines for Pacquiao's birthday party, but aside from the celebration, they will also meet to discuss who Pacquiao will next fight.
Arum said that with Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of the picture due to his legal problems, Pacquiao's next fight will take place April 16, likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, against one of three opponents: Shane Mosley, welterweight titlist Andre Berto or lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez, who is 0-1-1 in two sensational fights with Pacquiao that could have gone either way.
Before Arum leaves for the Philippines he said he will get proposals from all three and then discuss them with Pacquiao and let him make a decision, although Arum said the contract weight will be 147 pounds with no room for any discussion.
"I will have all three proposals and I will sit with Manny in the Philippines when I'm there for his birthday and let him decide who he wants to fight," Arum told ESPN.com. "We'll go over everything because each fight has a different set of financial parameters. It's Manny's career, it's his life and he'll decide. Will I make a recommendation? Sure, but all it will be is a recommendation, and Freddie will have some input. I certainly don't act as a dictator."
Arum already has an agreement with Mosley, whom he began talking with just before going to Dallas for Pacquiao's destruction of Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13.
Mosley claims he is free from his Golden Boy promotional contract, although if he takes a fight with Top Rank he would likely have to give up his 5 percent equity stake in Golden Boy.
Arum and Lou DiBella, Berto's promoter, have been in touch regularly this week and DiBella said he was preparing a proposal for the fight.
Marquez is also with Golden Boy, Top Rank's bitter rival, but Golden Boy is willing to step aside and let Top Rank promote the fight in order to get Marquez the opportunity, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. He has been dealing with Top Rank president Todd duBoef on a potential deal.
"I had a very nice conversation with Todd and we subsequently exchanged some emails and that's all I'm really going to say," Schaefer said. "We said we would keep the discussions private."