by James Slater: Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will reportedly ask to be given a short leave of absence from his political duties in the Philippines so as to be able to sufficiently promote his big November 13th bout with Antonio Margarito. The Manila Bulletin has reported how Pac-Man will ask Congress for “a short leave of absence” so as to be available to attend press events planned for the U.S later this month.
“We can’t take the congressman away for a long time,” Bob Arum said this week. “[after promoting the bout] Manny can return and resume his duties.”
Arum knows how many more pay-per-view buys a well-hyped fight can get, and although any fight involving superstar Pacquiao is guaranteed to be a smash as the box office, if Pac-Man were not actively involved in hyping the fight with the disgraced Mexican, some sales would perhaps be lost. And Arum always wants to sell as many tickets as possible. Make no mistake, once the hype machine gets rolling for this one – with the now infamous hand wraps scandal, the differing personalities of the two warriors and the history-making (for Pac-Man) world title at stake – the fans will be aching to see the explosive action.
But where will the fight take place? A few days ago, Arum paid a visit to his good friend Jerry Jones, owner of The Dallas Cowboys and their magnificent stadium in Texas. It was thought the fight would go ahead there, and it still might – however, Margarito goes before the California State Athletic Commission next week, and if the former welterweight champ is successful in getting his licence to box back from the CSAC, he will have other options than Texas (a state that is reportedly ready to allow Margarito to box there whether or not the new appeal goes well) as places to fight at.
So, will Arum – who has said that the fight is “guaranteed” to come off, wherever it is held – look to change the venue if his fighter is given permission to box by the State of California? Maybe, and maybe the fight will wind up taking place in Las Vegas or even L.A. If “Toney” does get his licence back, I’ll be surprised if Mexico remains an option for where to host the big fight.
Whether or not you feel Margarito should be getting this big opportunity or not, he is. And the fight will almost certainly be a smash hit at both the live gate and on pay-per-view – wherever it takes place. Also, get ready for a very interesting four-part 24/7 to be presented by HBO as they add even more spice to the already controversial fight.