Pacman fight on; Solis no-show

Jorge Solis not showing up for a scheduled news conference with Manny Pacquiao in Los Angeles yesterday was not enough to spoil the day of the Filipino boxing sensation.

Because almost at the same time, while Pacquiao sat and patiently waited for Solis at the Palm Restaurant, he learned that his April 14 showdown with the Mexican will go on as scheduled.

A Nevada court junked a plea for injunction filed by Golden Boy Promotions. The injunction would have kept the Pacquiao-Solis bout at the Alamodome in Texas from pushing through.

"Well, that was what we expected. And we’re happy," said Pacquiao’s legal counsel, Franklin Gacal. "Manny has been informed about it earlier and he’s happy, too."

Judge Philip Pro of the District of Nevada, according to Gacal, found no sufficient reason for him to uphold the injunction, and that GBP failed to prove the strength of its plea.

And as a result, the Nevada judge ruled that the GBP plea "must be denied."

"The grounds for the injunction were not met. And we’re thankful. This only means that the Pacquiao-Solis fight will push through. Same time, same place," Gacal added.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, was just as happy and elated with the court decision.

"Oscar (de la Hoya, GBP owner) should be ashamed of himself," Arum told fightnews.com. "How can he try to stop Manny Pacquiao from making a living?"

Arum said Filipino fight fans will not take things sitting down, and that de la Hoya only "has himself to blame if Filipinos don’t buy his pay-per-view (for his May 5 bout with Floyd Mayweather)."

Top Rank and GBP are locked in a legal battle on which outfit has the promotional rights over the Filipino superstar. Both Top Rank and GBP are holding on to a contract signed by Pacquiao.

Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles last Saturday to resume his training at the Wild Card Gym. He was supposed to meet Solis for the first time, during the news conference.

But Solis was a no-show. The reason, according to Ed dela Vega of philboxing.com, was that the Mexican boxer was still at the US Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico, applying for a visa.

But the show went on as Pacquiao showed up along with Brian Viloria and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., two exciting boxers who are part of the April 14 undercard.

Pacquiao arrived with his Canadian adviser Mike Koncz and trainer Justin Fortune, the ex-heavyweight who’s taken over Freddie Roach, now busy training de la Hoya in Puerto Rico.

Pacquiao, dela Vega added, looked "pretty good and very confident."

Fortune said the left-handed slugger is about 75 percent in condition and should be a hundred percent after three full weeks of training, and before heading to Texas.

Pacquiao, who is eyeing a Congressional seat in the May 14 elections, said he will "put up a good fight for everybody to enjoy" and, in jest, thanked the Mexican people "who will be supporting him in San Antonio."