WBC pits Manny vs Korean champ

The World Boxing Council yesterday dashed any hopes of a forthcoming Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch as it approved Barrera’s fight against Juan Manuel Marquez and announced the Filipino idol’s clash with Korean In Jin Chi in Macau.

The WBC, headed by Jose Sulaiman, announced its decision amid the court battle going on between Bob Arum’s Top Rank and Oscar dela Hoya’s Golden Boy over the promotional rights on the sensational Filipino slugger.

The WBC president said Pacquiao is "going to fight In Jin Chi on April 28 at the newly-built Wynn Hotel in Macau." The offer of In Jin Chi to move up from featherweight to super featherweight to fight Pacquiao in Macau was relayed to both Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Pacquiao on request of Chi’s manager Kusung Lee and his close friend, lawyer Rudy Salud, according to Boxingscene.com.

The Boxrec.com website also said Pacquiao, with a 43-3-2 record, will defend his WBC international superfeatherweight title against the 33-year-old Chi. The Korean WBC featherweight champion totes a 31-3-1 (win-loss-draw) record, including 18 knockouts.

Arum said he would clear it with Pacquiao although he said Chi is tough and it would be a good fight. Pacquiao, however, indicated he had nothing to gain by fighting Chi but would take the fight if the purse was a good one.

Meanwhile, the WBC said that if Barrera beats Marquez, he should face Pacquiao next, assuming Pacquiao wins in Macau. It was not stated that if Marquez snares the title from Barrera, his first title defense will be against Pacquiao.

If Barrera beats Marquez and refuses to fight Pacquiao by the end of the year, the Mexican champion, pushing 33 this month, will be stripped of the championship belt by the WBC.

A free negotiation period between Pacquiao and Barrera will begin one day after their respective fights. If no agreement is reached after 21 days, a purse offer will take place, meaning any promoter outside Top Rank and Golden Boy can bid for the rights on the rematch.

Top Rank and Golden Boy are both claiming to be Pacquiao’s rightful promoter with each party holding on to a contract signed by the left-handed Filipino. The case had gone to court, and it may even take a year to settle.

The WBC late last year ordered Barrera to face the winner of the Nov. 18 showdown between Pacquiao and Erik Morales. But again, the raging battle over Pacquiao has become a factor, and the WBC probably thought it was not the best time to do Pacquiao-Barrera rematch.