ShareThisBy JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES
MANILA (PhilAmPress) – Will Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao stage a comeback in April or is he not?
All reports already point to the holding of the fight and the preparations by fighting congressman from Sarangani province for his return to the ring this April, possibly on the 13th or 20th of that month.
Three venues are being considered for the tune up fight – Dubai, Macau and Singapore- after Manila was ruled out.
But Pacquiao’s American coach Freddie Roach claimed the former world champion and pound-for-pound king does not need a tune up fight but needed long rest.
It was gathered that after the tuneup fight, Pacquiao will face his Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez for a record fifth fight.
And Pacquiao would redeem his devastating knockout loss to Marquez, he will face the undefeated American champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. for what was once touted as the richest boxing fight in history, with each assured of $50 million. Pacquiao’s loss to Marquez, however, has put this Mayweather-Pacquiao dream fight in doubt.
It was learned that Pacquiao’s tuneup fight may also feature Marquez himself. Pacquiao, however, will fight another boxer and so with Marquez.
The Mexican champion has earlier reported plans to hang up his gloves as requested by his wife and family.
But Esto, a daily sports newspaper in Mexico, hinted that Marquez have decided to defer his retirement.
Even Pacquiao has been asked by his wife Jinkee and mother Dionisia and close friends to also retire, but decided to have two to four fights more.
Reports published in Manila indicated that Pacquiao’s fight maybe staged in the second week of April in Dubai, Singapore or Macau.
Negotiations have reportedly started with the three cities.
Earlier, Pacquiao toyed with the idea of holding his next fight in Manila.
According to the Esto sports daily, Marquez has reconsidered his decision to hang up his gloves after meeting with Fernando Beltran, paving the way for his own tuneup fight the week after Pacquiao’s.
The promoters of Pacquiao and Marquez reported that plans are afoot for the fifth fight of the two great boxers on September 14.
Marquez has only one win to show in four matches with Pacquiao but experts said he now has the upperhand owing to the strength of his sixth-round knockout of the Filipino icon in Las Vegas last December 8.
Two names have cropped up as possible foes for Pacquiao and Marquez: undefeated American welterweight fighter Jessie Vargas and Vyacheslav Senchenko of Ukraine.
It was gathered that Vargas was originally a Mexican Olympian and became the protégé of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said he would rather want Pacquiao take a long rest instead of engaging in a tuneup fight and fight Marquez a fifth time in September.
“I don’t really want the tuneup fight,” Roach told boxingscene.
“I would rather just go straight into the fifth fight. I don’t think a guy of Pacquiao’s level needs a tuneup fight,” Roach added.
Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran has started with Marquez in Mexico City his future fights.
According to a Manila Bulletin report, the 34-year-old Pacquiao is interested in taking the April 13 date, leaving Marquez with no choice but to go with April 20 and Pacquiao has the luxury of picking who among the 35-year-old Senchenko and 23-year-old Vargas will be his rival.
Armed with a 33-1-0 win-loss-draw record with 22 knockouts, the 5-10 Senchenko is best known for sending Ricky Hatton to retirement last year and he used to be trained by Freddie Roach.
Vargas, based in Las Vegas, has a 22-0 card with nine knockouts and one of the fast-rising contenders in the 147-lb division.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum said it would be great that Pacquiao and Marquez would engage in tuneup fights as they get ready for a fifth clash during the height of the Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 14.