MANILA, Philippines – A member of Team Pacquiao revealed their plan to propose a catchweight for the March 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, after it was earlier reported that trainer Freddie Roach said there will be no catchweight.
“We will push for the 145 [lbs.] catchweight,” Pacquiao’s lawyer, Jeng Gacal, told ABS-CBN’s “Umagang Kay Ganda.”
According to Gacal, the fight deal is sealed, save for the possible catchweight. Pacquiao and Clottey are slated to fight at 147 lbs.
“Ilalakad po natin tulad po sa nangyari sa [Miguel] Cotto fight na 145. Talagang mas malaki ang mga taong ito,” said Gacal, referring to Clottey and Cotto who were naturally bigger fighters than Pacquiao.
Roach, on the other hand, earlier said that the Filipino boxing superstar was comfortable with fighting at 147 lbs.
“It will be at 147. There’s no catchweight,” Roach told FightHype.com. A catchweight describes the weight limit for a fight that does not fall in traditional limits for weight classes.
Pacquiao will put his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title at stake when he faces Ghana’s Clottey, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion, at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Feather in cap
Gacal went on to disclose Pacquiao’s plans for his training camp.
“Sa America po [ang training] ang plano ni Manny. Ngayong Linggo, maaaring lumipad kami patungong America.”
As for the purse split, Gacal stated: “Maganda po ang hatian sapagkat ito’y natural na mas pabor ito kay Manny Pacquiao sapagkat alam naman po natin na ang alas dito ay si Manny Pacquiao.”
The lawyer also commented on Pacquiao’s upcoming debut at the Cowboys Stadium.
“Sa sitwasyon pong ito, talagang yung may-ari ng stadium na si Mr. Jerry Jones, talagang gusto niyang makuha si Manny Pacquiao na mapanood sa kaniyang lugar. Ito po ay ika nga, feather in his cap."
“At maganda naman po ang naging offer ni Mr. Jerry Jones so ito po ay makakabuti rin sa dalawang boxer at para mabago rin ang venue. Medyo lagi nalang sa Vegas,” noted Gacal.
Post-Clottey
The seven-division champion was supposed to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The much-anticipated bout, however, was called off because the boxers’ camps disagreed on the drug testing protocol.
“Hindi ko alam kung mangyayari pa,” Gacal said of the Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight. “Siguro kung magbabago ang takbo ng pag-iisip ni Floyd ay maaring mangyayari.”
He also mentioned that there are other plans lined up for Pacquiao if ever he wins over his Ghanaian foe.
Meanwhile, Gacal said the Clottey fight will not get in the way of Pacquiao’s political plans of running for the Saragani Province congressional seat in May.
He believes that Pacquiao’s two-month absence from the local scene, as he will be training and fighting in the US, will not affect his political campaign.
“Hindi pa naman puwede mangampanya sapagkat ang pangangampanya ng local officials ay magsisimula sa March 26. Mahaba-haba na rin yung preparasyon ni Manny sa kaniyang pagtakbo. He started almost a year ago.”
Source: Yahoo! News
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