Pacquiao to headline HBO card

International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight champion Manny Pacquiao is booked to headline a Home Box Office (HBO) cable TV fight card in Atlantic City, New Jersey, or New York City in September.

Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario told The STAR yesterday the purse could be close to $100,000 if lawyer Sydney Hall succeeds in persuading promoter Murad Muhammad to guarantee the record paycheck for the General Santos City brawler’s first title defense.

Nazario said Muhammad plans to showcase Pacquiao in the main event. Muhammad, who promoted Pacquiao’s sixth round knockout over Lehlo Ledwaba to wrest the IBF crown in Las Vegas last month, has first crack to stage the Filipino’s next fight. Nazario noted that Pacquiao’s initial defense will likely be in New Jersey where Muhammad’s M&M Sports office is based but didn’t rule out a New York venue.

Either Enrique Sanchez or Nestor Garza will be Pacquiao’s opponent. Both Mexicans are former world champions.

Sanchez, 29, won the World Boxing Association (WBA) junior featherweight title via a 12-round decision over Rafael del Valle in February 1998 and lost it in his first defense to Garza late that year. Since losing to Garza, Sanchez scored four straight knockouts before figuring in a seventh round technical draw with Carlos Contreras last February. His record is 28-1-2, with 21 KOs. Sanchez, a southpaw like Pacquiao, holds the distinction of defeating Marco Antonio Barrera as an amateur.

Nicknamed "El Tigre," Garza, 24, is the only fighter to beat Sanchez. He turned back challengers Carlos Barretto and Kozo Ishii, both by knockout, before losing the WBA crown to Clarence (Bones) Adams on points last year. Garza’s record is 38-2, with 30 KOs.

Pacquiao said he’s confident of beating Sanchez or Garza so it doesn’t matter whom Muhammad finally picks to be his first challenger. Anyone will do, said Pacquiao the other day as he watched a PBA game at the Philsports Arena.

Pacquiao, 22, pocketed $40,000 in halting Ledwaba as a late substitute for Sanchez who backed out supposedly because of an injury. When he arrived home, Pacquiao was given a P1 million reward by President Arroyo and P100,000 by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

Pacquiao is busy promoting his second movie, Mahal Kita, Kahit Sino Ka Pa, which opens in theaters Wednesday. He has also appeared on various TV shows as a guest. Although he hasn’t gone back to spar in the gym, Pacquiao jogs religiously to stay fit.

Once the fight contract is signed, Nazario will fly Pacquiao to Los Angeles to train under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Club gym. It was Roach who polished Pacquiao’s style, taught him how to use his quickness for defense, and transformed him into a mean fighting machine in less than three weeks of training for Ledwaba.