ILOILO CITY, Philippines
– Even if Manny Pacquiao (45W, 35 KOs, 3 losses) will suffer a
knockout defeat, which is beyond imagination for those who root for
him, in his March 15 12-round shootout with World Boxing Council (WBC)
superfeatherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at the Mandalay Bay
Resort and Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, he is still illegible to climb
the ring for a possible world title shot at David Diaz's WBC
lightweight crown within the period of three months.
This became apparent
after BoxRec.com reported that the Filipino fighter's next assignment
will be on June 28, 2008 in Macau, China against an unnamed opponent
which, sources said, could be the 31-year-old Diaz, conqueror of
Pacquiao's trilogy partner Erik Morales.
Diaz (33W, 17 KOs, 1
loss) will himself risk his WBC jewels also on March 15 in the
Marquez-Pacquiao aperitif versus Ramon Montano (14 W, 0 loss). Win or
lose to Montano, Diaz could still fight after a period of three months
– even if he will kiss the canvas.
Under the rules of the
Games and Amusement Board (GAB) boxing division and probably the
Nevada State Athletic Commission, a fighter who suffers a knockout
(KO) cannot fight for the next 60 days or two months.
Promoters of the
supposed Pacquiao-Diaz setto must have anticipated this possible
“technical glitch” in the megabuck showdown in China's gambling
capital in advance the reason why they chose June 28 as the date of
the possible title clash.
Aside from Diaz,
promoters of the 29-year-old General Santos City phenom is also eyeing
the voracious but extremely dangerous Edwin Valero, the unbeaten
Venezuelan who has been banned from fighting in the United States for
his failure to secure necessary brain test.
