It’s go for Larios fight at Big Dome

It’s final and official: Manny Pacquiao will face Oscar Larios at the Araneta Coliseum this July.

The fight contract was signed by the Filipino boxing sensation yesterday afternoon in the presence of his American manager Shelly Finkel, lawyer Nicholas Khan and trainer Freddie Roach.

The Americans arrived yesterday morning carrying with them the contract that was signed by Larios a few days ago.

Pacquiao met Finkel and company behind closed doors for almost an hour. When they emerged from the room, it was time to inaugurate the Manny Pacquiao Promotions office at the Tektite Bldg. in Ortigas.

Under the contract, the Mexican former world champion in the 122 lb division will receive $450,000. There’s no official word on Pacquiao’s purse although it is believed to be no less than $1 million.

Pacquiao said the fight will most likely take place on July 9, and not July 2 as earlier mentioned. Previous negotiations also mentioned the dates June 18 or 25.

"We’re really looking at July 9 because if we hold it on the second, it will fall on a holiday back in the US. It’s going to be a long weekend there because of the fourth of July," he said.

The fight, according to Roach, will be at 130 lbs and 12 rounds. There’ll be one Filipino, one Mexican and a neutral judge.

Also present when Pacquiao inked the contract were the boxer’s LA-based consultant Jo Ramos and Filipino business partners Jake Joson and Eric Pineda.

According to plans, Pacquiao will spend the last three weeks of May training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. Then he will train four weeks or the whole of June in a training camp in Baguio City.

Pacquiao will be in Manila a week before the fight. Larios is expected to fly in almost the same time for the official fight press conference and weigh-in.

"At least we don’t have to rush things because Manny is still a little fatigued. We’ll set up training camp and pick it up as we go," said Roach.

"We’ll train in my gym for a few weeks then set up camp up in Baguio for a month," he added.

Regarding Pacquiao’s third match against Erik Morales, which is tentatively scheduled in September, Roach said everything "remains up in the air."

"Erik wants a higher weight (132 lbs) and we’ve told him that it’s 130 or nothing. But Erik’s talking like he really wants a third match. He said he wants to come back but sometimes I’m having doubts about that," said Roach.

"But there’s always (Marco Antonio) Barrera out thereif Erik isn’t available. Manny’s in a very hot division right now," he said.