Ang mga susunod na araw ang siyang magde-determina kung matutuloy ang pinaplanong welter-weight fight nina Filipino world four-division champion Manny Pacquiao at American world six-division titlist Oscar Dela Hoya.
Nakatakdang makipagkita si Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at match-maker ng Golden Boy Promotions ni Dela Hoya, kay Bob Arum ng Top Rank sa Miyerkules (US time) sa Los Angeles, California sa layuning mapanalisa ang nasabing megabuck slugfest sa Disyembre 6 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I am going to meet with him and if we can work out a deal that is acceptable to Bob, Manny and to us, then we will get the fight done,” ani Schaefer kahapon sa ESPN.com. “Bob and me have a pretty good track record of making big fights. I will sit down with Bob on Wednesday and I think we will know in a half-hour if we have a deal or not.”
Plano na ng 35-anyos na si Dela Hoya, nagdadala ng 39-5-0 win-loss-draw ring record kasama ang 30 KOs, na magretiro na sa Disyembre 6.
Sa biglaang pag-alis ni world light middleweight king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. sa boxing scene, ang pangalan ng 29-anyos na si Pacquiao, nagbabandera ng 47-3-2 (35 KOs) ang isa sa mga ikinukunsidera ni Dela Hoya.
Gusto ni Dela Hoya, gold medalist sa 1992 Barcelona Olympic, na kalabanin si Pacquiao sa light middleweight class, habang papayag lamang sina Arum at trainer Freddie Roach sa welter-weight limit.
“There are some issues we need to talk about. There are some deal points which need to be discussed, such as the split of the revenues, the weight. I think the gloves, maybe,” wika ni Schaefer.
Nagkausap na sina Pacquiao, ang bagong World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight ruler, at Arum noong Martes (US time) sa Las Vegas kung saan nila tinalakay ang posibleng laban kay Dela Hoya.
“Manny let me know what he wanted and we explored his participation in the fight with De La Hoya,” wika ni Arum. “Now, on Wednesday, I’ll sit down with Richard and see if we can hammer out a deal.”
“Oscar really wants to do the fight. You know Oscar,” ani Schaefer. “He honestly feels that Freddie and Pacquiao have been disrespectful. It’s bad for Freddie to say that Oscar can’t pull the trigger anymore. Oscar will show them how he can pull the trigger. Pacquiao is being Freddie Roach’s puppet and Oscar wants to teach a lesson to them.” (Russell Cadayona)