A Manny Pacquiao fight has been scheduled for Nov. 11 this year even though his opponent has yet to be named.
It isn’t likely to be Timothy Bradley, to whom the Filipino superstar lost by a highly controversial split decision last June 9, according to Pacquiao’s lawyer and adviser Franklin Gacal Jr. in a recent Philboxing article.
“Bradley simply isn’t attractive enough for Team Pacquiao,” said Gacal. “Giving him a rematch will not only dignify one of the lousiest stick-up decisions in boxing in recent years, it will also be financially unattractive purse-wise.”
Top Rank’s Bob Arum, though, looks forward to a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch in November and in fact has insinuated that the new welterweight champion would get a bigger purse and a heftier pay-per-view share. Arum is the promoter of both Pacquiao and Bradley.
The Pacquiao-Bradley fight last June failed to hit the 1 million PPV mark. It was only the second time a Pacquiao fight did not make a million since 2008, when he fought Oscar de la Hoya.
The other one was against Joshua Clottey in 2010.
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Like most boxing experts, Gacal said Manny seems to be running out of worthy opponents. He feels Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the only one left but the undefeated American is locked up in jail, serving time for beating up his girlfriend and her son.
Top talents in the welterweight division have dried up with so many would-be contenders falling by the wayside. The latest was Victor Ortiz, who quit after breaking his jaw in a fight with Josesito Lopez last Sunday.
Pacquiao sparring partner Amir Khan also lost to Lamont Peterson, who in turn tested positive for a banned substance recently.
For the moment at least, the Nov. 11 fight is not Manny’s immediate concern.
By this time the Pacman and his family should be headed for the Holy Land, a trip that was planned before he fought Bradley.
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It is often asked: Is Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. the next Manny Pacquiao?
Very recently, a boxing scribe asked Nonito if he wanted to be the next Pacquiao.
This was his answer:
“I respect and admire him, but there is only one Manny Pacquiao. I want to be known as Nonito Donaire Jr.,” said the boxer tagged as the heir apparent to Pacquiao.
Nonito takes on the taller (at 5 feet 10) but older (33) South African IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula in a title unification match on Saturday at the Home Depot in Carson City, California.
Nonito, 29, is WBO super bantamweight champ. He is favored to win over 2000 Olympian Mathebula, who lost two of his last six fights by split decision.
In fact, four of Mathebula’s last six fights ended in split decision, which they say is some kind of a record.