INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - There's still a chance Manny Pacquiao will fly to New York to receive his 2008 Fighter of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America Friday night (Saturday in Manila).

Though Pacquiao said on Tuesday that he is foregoing the trip due to numerous commitments, his promoter, Bob Arum, and one of his trusted advisers, Wakee Salud, are both convinced that the world’s pound for pound king needs to grace the event to enhance his image as the new face of boxing.

Salud told the Inquirer yesterday that he’ll try to persuade Pacquiao to grace the 84th edition of the awards night.

“He has to go,” said Salud. “Not only for his image but for that of Filipinos as well. If he’s really busy, he can just stay there for two nights and return to the country immediately.”

Based on Pacquiao’s original schedule after his two-round demolition of Ricky Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas, the Pacquiaos were supposed to spend a week-long vacation in Australia starting on June 1 before proceeding to New York on the seventh.

Pacquiao was also slated to appear in Good Morning America, a widely followed breakfast television news and talk show, and then watch the Miguel Cotto-Joshua Clottey fight on June 13 at the Madison Square Garden.

Cotto, the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, is being floated by Arum as one of Pacquiao’s possible opponents.

In the main supporting bout, Filipino Rodel Mayol will gun for the WBO light flyweight belt of unbeaten Ivan Calderon.

Salud said he’s been bombarded with calls since early morning, some from the US, to inquire about Pacquiao’s final decision.

According to Salud, Arum told him that “it’s a horrible mistake” if Pacquiao does decide to snub the 84th edition of the BWAA Annual Awards.