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Sports

Pacman: Floyd Jr not the big draw

- Abac Cordero -

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao is not going to tap on Floyd Mayweather’s window and beg for a fight.

No, Pacquiao doesn’t need Mayweather for his next fight. Not if the American wants it in his own terms.

“Of course we want to do Mayweather. But we won’t be railroaded and pushed around, bullied around,” Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser, Mike Koncz, told the Digital Journal yesterday from Los Angeles.

It’s not only Koncz who feels this way but Pacquiao himself, his trainer Freddie Roach and his promoter Bob Arum. They all believe that a fight with Mayweather, if ever it happens, should be under their’ terms.

Arum had called Mayweather, the undefeated ex-pound-for-pound champion, “delusional” for saying he wants the biggger purse, 60-40 at least, if he fights Pacquiao next year.

Roach said the fight just won’t happen because of money matters, while Pacquiao said Mayweather is just “after the money” and not a good fight the whole world would want to see.

Koncz said instead of Mayweather, there’s Shane Mosley or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to look at. Either fight should be a big one as long as it’s Pacquiao in the opposite corner.

Pacquiao wants the bigger cut if he fights Mayweather, and Arum once said that not even a 50-50 split with the American who just came out of retirement would be a fair share.

Earlier this year, Mosley said he’d fight Pacquiao and settle for 40 percent of everything and at the same time stake his WBA welterweight crown at a catchweight of 145 lb or even a little less.

Pacquiao hasn’t lost a fight in four years and eight months, not after dropping a bloody decision to Erik Morales in March of 2005 at the MGM Grand, the site of Pacquiao’s Nov. 14 bout with Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao is all pumped up to face Cotto for the heaviest fight of his career. Last Saturday (Sunday in Manila), he sparred 12 rounds at the Wild Card Gym, and impressed even those who are so used to see him train.

Grabe ang bilis ni Manny ngayon (Manny has got tremendous speed),” said Nonoy Neri, a key member of Team Pacquiao, in a text message to The STAR yesterday morning.

Koncz had often said that with each win, Pacquiao’s popularity is multiplied 10 times, and a win over Cotto won’t change the fact that he’s the hottest, most exciting, most in demand fighter out there today.

BOB ARUM

COTTO

DIGITAL JOURNAL

ERIK MORALES

FIGHT

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

FREDDIE ROACH

KONCZ

MAYWEATHER

PACQUIAO

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