Arum: Pacquiao ready to fight as early as next week

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV BAGUIO — Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was obviously impressed with what he saw. The boxing promoter of more than five decades declared Manny Pacquiao as being ready to fight even as early as next week. “This is so early, and look how great he is. He can fight next week, probably," said Arum, watching at ringside while the world's top pound-for-pound fighter did the mitts with trainer Freddie Roach at the Shape Up gym of the Cooyesan Hotel. “He looks terrific. He looks very, very good." The 12-round title bout with Sugar Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with Pacquiao's World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title at stake, is still six weeks away, but Arum already noticed something new in Pacquiao's arsenal that thrilled him no end. “I like the way he's been using that right hand, because I really believe that the right hand is gonna tell the story of the fight," said Arum of Pacquiao, a noted southpaw. “Everybody knows that the left hand is his power hand, so Mosley's gonna be looking for that left hand. But I think he's using his right hand tremendously and that's gonna be his big weapon." Arum arrived in the country early Monday morning, accompanied by his stepdaughter Dena Duboef and two of Pacquiao's sparmates, Shawn Porter and David Rodela. From Manila, they were flown to the country's summer capital on the private plane of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, just in time to catch Pacquiao's public workout on his second week of high-altitude training. And unlike the last time when Arum sounded off his concern upon seeing the eight-time world champion looking sluggish in training camp as he prepared for his title fight against Antonio Margarito, the Top Rank promoter would have none of those anxieties right now. - KY, RCJ, GMA News