ShareThisMANILA – World boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, already the coach of the Philippine Basketball Association’s newest team, KIA Mothers, is determined also to play in the basketball league.
In fact, a month after being appointed head coach of KIA Motors, the 8-division world boxing champion has prepared an application to join the 2014 PBA Rookie Draft.
Incoming KIA team manager Eric Pineda, who is one of Pacquiao’s business managers, said he has Pacquiao’s application documents.
“Hawak ko na yung papeles niya. Magpapa-draft na siya. Sasali na siya sa draft,” Pineda said in the PBA website. “Oras na sabihin na niyang ipapasa ko ito, dadalhin ko na.”
This developed as relatively unknown but undefeated American fighter Chris Algieri will be his next opponent when he goes back to the ring on November 23 in Macau, China.
Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 knockouts) selected Algieri who has won all 20 fights, eight by knockout.
Algieri last fought back in June 14, defeating the Freddie Roach-trained Ruslan Provodnikov via split decision.
Algieri, who hails from Huntington, New York, bounced back from a knockdown in the first round to outbox Provodnikov and escape with the decision. The win will be worth at least a million dollars for Algieri as he is geared to make that amount against Pacquiao, a vast improvement from his $100,000 purse against the Russian.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum earlier told ESPN.com that he has made an offer to Algieri’s promoter even as Pacquiao’s former sparring mate, Amir Khan, expressed the desire to fight the Filipino champion.
Pacquiao’s choice of Algieri was made possible after Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez was cool to a fifth fight with the Filipino champion.
The Manila Standard Today has reported that Khan wanted to fight Pacquiao next.
Khan said: “We have a good history together; we both were trained by Freddie Roach, we sparred together hundreds of times, we are friends. But boxing is a business and I want to fight him and beat him.”
Khan’s last attempt at landing a superfight failed when Floyd Mayweather instead faced Marcos Maidana last May. Mayweather will likely rematch Maidana on September 13.
Pineda said Pacquiao,, who is also a politician, a pastor and a showbiz personality, decided to join the draft following his two-week vacation in Israel and Europe.
The boxer’s series of meetings with PBA commissioner Chito Salud also led to Pacquiao’s decision to undergo the draft proceeding.
The 35-year-old Filipino boxing superstar has until August 13 to submit his draft papers. If he files his application, he will become the oldest among the PBA draftees.
If he gets drafted by KIA Motors, he will become the first active professional boxer and active Philippine legislator to play professionally in the PBA.
Pacquiao initially tried to avoid the draft process by pursuing a position as a playing coach for KIA Motors.
But PBA chieftain Chito Salud remained firm that the boxer will have to go through the draft if he wants to play in the PBA.
“He will be a welcome addition to the PBA,” Salud said. “But you will have to enter the rookie draft — you have to go through the process.”