Pacquiao vs Solis on April 14; Arce, Viloria and Chavez, Jr on undercard

SAN ANTONIO, TX. (February 22, 2007) – First there was The Iceman, George Gervin of the San Antonio Spurs. Now, The Manila Iceman cometh –- in a BLAZE OF GLORY. Boxing’s pound-for-pound, most exciting fighter, MANNY “PAC-MAN” PACQUIAO (43-3-2, General Santos City, Philippines), returns to the international spotlight when he makes his 2007 debut, defending his WBC Int’l Super Featherweight title against undefeated Mexican dynamo JORGE “COLORADITO” SOLIS (32-0-2, Guadalajara, Mexico)..

Promoted by Top Rank, the Pacquiao-Solis 12-round rumble, will headline an all-action BLAZE OF GLORY fight card at Alamodome in San Antonio, TX., Saturday, April 14. Between them, they boast a combined professional record of 75 wins – 3 losses – 4 draws, and 57 KOs – a winning percentage exceeding 91%!

In addition to the Pacquiao vs Solis title fight, noted boxing stars Jorge Arce, Brian Viloria and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. are slated for championship action in what promises to be San Antonio’s biggest Fight Night in over a decade.

The colorful, two-time World Champion, Arce (46-3-1, Los Mochis, Mexico), will be gunning for his third world crown when he challenges fellow Mexican and World Champion, Christian Mijares (30-3-2, Gomez Palacio, Mexico) for Mijares’ coveted WBC World Super Flyweight Championship.

Viloria (19-1-1, Waipahu, Hawaii), the 2000 U.S. Olympian who went on to capture the WBC World Light Flyweight title, will be looking to regain the crown he lost when he battles #2 World Contender, Edgar Solis (26-5, Mexico City, Mexico) for the vacant WBC World Light Flyweight Championship.

The undefeated Chavez, Jr. (29-0-1, Culiacan, Mexico), one of Boxing’s rising stars, will be defending his WBC Youth Light Middleweight title against an opponent to be announced.

Tickets for BLAZE OF GLORY go on sale Saturday, February 24th and are priced at $300, $200, $100, $75, $50, $35. Tickets will be available at the Alamodome Box Office and Tickmaster Outlets, as well as online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at 210-224-9600.

Since 2003, Pacquiao, a three-division world champion, has blitzed through the best fighters Mexico had to offer, including legends Eric Morales (KO 3, TKO 10), Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11), Oscar Larios (W 12), Emanuel Lucero (TKO 3), and Hector Velazquez (TKO 6). The only “blemish” was a disputed Draw that many thought he won against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2004, where Pacquiao sent Marquez to the canvas three times in the first round.

“Manny Pacquiao is exciting, charismatic and everyone worldwide wants to see him in the ring,” said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank. “He literally is boxing’s superhero. You say ‘Pac-Man’ and it’s like saying ‘Superman’ or ‘Batman.’ Everyone knows him, loves to see him in action and he strikes fear in the hearts of his opponents.”

Pacquiao, (43-3-2, 33 KOs), from General Santos City, The Philippines, was named “2006 Fighter of the Year” by The Ring magazine for his two spectacular knockout victories of Mexican icon and three-division champion Erik Morales and his dominating 12-round unanimous 12-round decision over former world champion and current No. 1 contender Oscar Larios.

Since The Ring originated the award in 1928, only six fighters below the lightweight division – Henry Armstrong (1937), Willie Pep (’45), Carlos Zarate (’77), Salvador Sanchez (’81), Michael Carbajal (’93), Paulie Ayala (’99) – have been previously selected for the magazine’s top honor. Pacquiao is number seven.

The hard-hitting southpaw has only lost once in his last 20 bouts, a close decision in 2005 to Morales in their first encounter.

A proven pay-per-view star, the Pacquiao-Morales trilogy produced over one million pay-per-view sales, a record for the lower weight divisions. The live attendance for their rubber match rumble last November produced a live gate of 18,276, fifth-best on Las Vegas’ all-time list.

Solis (32-0-2, 1 ND, 23 KOs), from Guadalajara, Mexico, is the older brother of Ulises “Archie” Solis, the reigning International Boxing Federation light flyweight champion. A former Mexican super bantamweight champion who vacated the title after three successful title defenses to move up a weight division, Solis has reigned as the Mexican featherweight champion since 2003. He was also the World Boxing Association Fedecentro featherweight champion from 2003-2004. World-rated No. 2 by the WBC and No. 4 by the WBO, Solis has vowed to end Pacquiao’s dominance over Mexican fighters.

Boxing columnist Graham Houston reported from ringside, “Marvin Hagler against Thomas Hearns remains the greatest three-round fight in boxing history, but Manny Pacquiao’s third round destruction of Erik Morales can surely be mentioned in the same breath. The rubber match between the 130-pound rivals was fast and furious while it lasted… This was, quite simply, the best Pacquiao we have yet seen: a two-handed punching machine who displayed greater ring generalship and more upper body movement than I think he has ever shown before.”