Pacquiao: Valero or Hatton? Doesn't matter who
abs-cbnnews.com | 07/04/2008 2:32 PM
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Newly-crowned WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao is not at all concerned whether his next ring date is with Venezuelan slugger Edwin Valero at 135 pounds or Britain's Ricky Hatton at 140.
"Kung ako siguro, Valero or Hatton, kahit sino naman," Pacquiao said in a press conference after arriving Friday morning from Los Angeles, California.
The Filipino ring icon, however, said he has been hearing a lot of negative publicity about him from Valero.
"Si Valero, kung ano-ano mga sinasabi. Darating din ang panahon na mag-aabot din kami sa ring, mag-aabot din ang landas namin."
He declined to issue statements about Valero. "Ayaw ko lang magsalita ng marami dahil wala pa namang...pero marami siyang sinasabi sa akin."
Pacquiao, however, said that while he is ready to face Valero, a step up to the 140-lb light welterweight division also looks good.
In past interviews, Pacquiao said that sometimes weighs 140 lbs in between fights. At times, he said, this goes up to 150.
With regard to the possibility of a clash with Hatton, Pacquiao said," 'Yung Hatton kasi, talagang gusto noon, totoo na fight, bakbakan, suntukan talaga. Magandang fight, talagang napakaganda at saka may lakas din 'yun so kailangan ko at least 3 months na training for Hatton fight".
The champ also said that should Hatton's invitation of a London fight push through, he is willing to travel all the way to England to get a crack at "The Hitman."
"Sabi ko nga, para mas maraming tao, mas maraming fans na sisigaw sa kanya, kung kami maglaban, dadayuhin ko siya sa London," he said.
Top Rank big boss Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter in the US, has set a November 8 ring date for Pacquiao.
The WBC champ's opponent, however, has yet to be officially named.
But in a report on the online edition of the Business Mirror newspaper, Arum told sports correspondent Dennis Principe that the boxer dubbed "Pacman" will meet the Venezuelan knockout artist later this year.
“Ricky Hatton is set to fight Paul Malignaggi and I talked to Ricky’s father Ray and they told me they intend to honor that," Arum was quoted as saying.
