Pacquiao off to U.S. to mix business, pleasure

Manny Pacquiao mixes pleasure and work when he leaves with his family and small entourage for the United States Tuesday night. Aside from attending the 85th banquet awards of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) where he will be honored with the Boxer of the Decade honor, the newly-elected Congressman of the lone province of Sarangani hopes to also get a better picture of what’s in store for him once he returns to the ring in November -- possibly his last fight. The 31-year old, pound-for-pound fighter of the world departs for Los Angeles together with wife Jinkee and his children, personal adviser Michael Konz and second trainer Roger Fernandez. Top on his two-week agenda is to be on hand during the BWAA awards banquet on June 4. Pacquiao will also receive the 2009 Boxer of the Year title following a sterling season that saw him beat the likes of Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto on his way to winning a record seven world championships in seven different weight classes. Pacquiao shares the stage at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York with trainer Freddie Roach, who has been chosen as Trainer of the Year for a record-setting fourth time by the biggest boxing writers association in the whole world. At the same time, Pacquiao tries to hook up with promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and get first hand information on his ongoing efforts to strike a deal with the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. for a possible mega-rich fight by the end of the year. Arum and Golden Boy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Schaefer, representing Mayweather, have been silently working to push for a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown. Both camps refused to divulge the progress of the current negotiations. While both Arum and Schaefer remained mum about the matter, differences on the drug testing protocol and split on the fight purse are reportedly two of the major issues that have impeded the talks. But in the event the fight the world wants to see doesn’t happen, Arum already has a contingency plan. The veteran promoter has been very vocal about pitting Pacquiao against comebacking Antonio Margarito or perhaps, a rematch with Cotto, in the event the Mayweather deal doesn’t push through.

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV “If the Mayweather deal isn’t made, Pacquiao might fight Miguel Cotto, if Cotto beats (Yuri) Foreman for the 145-pound title," said Arum. Cotto, from Caguas, Puerto Rico, recently decided to move up in weight and challenges World Boxing Association (WBA) junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman on June 5 at the New Yankee Stadium in New York. Pacquiao is expected to be in attendance during the title bout. The world’s top pound-for-pound fighter was also at ringside in June last year when Cotto beat Joshua Clottey by split decision to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown. Five months later, Pacquiao scored a brutal 11th-round stoppage of Cotto to wrest the 147-pound version of the WBO. “I don’t think Manny would fight Yuri Foreman because he says Yuri is too tall," said Arum of the defending 154-pound champion from Israel who stands 5-foot-11. Roach out of negotiations Meanwhile, exasperated by the many demands being made by the Mayweather camp, Roach said he’s inhibiting himself from getting involve in the talks and would just wait whether the fight will push through or not by November 13 – the date Arum set for Pacquiao’s ring return. “I am completely out of the negotiations. Whatever happens, happens. I hope the fight happens. But if not, I don't care who the opponent is," said Roach. Pacquiao last fought in March, scoring a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Clottey to retain his WBO title belt. “I just know Manny will be fighting someone in November. We hope the opponent is Mayweather. If not, we’ll fight someone else and we’ll be ready," Roach stressed. - RCJ, GMANews.TV