Pacquiao eyes big comeback fight vs. JMM in September

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Manny Pacquiao AFP FILE PHOTO

 

 

MANNY Pacquiao is bracing for a big comeback fight in September to redeem himself from the resounding loss he absorbed from his archrival Juan Manuel Marquez last month.


“When he returns in September, he must win his fight. That’s all. At 34, I believe he can still fight. He needs to prepare very well this year,” Pacquiao’s business adviser Rex “Wakee” Salud told The Manila Times on Monday in a telephone interview. “That would be absolutely good [if he wins].”

A possible fifth fight against Marquez awaits Pacquiao in September according to Top Rank Promotion head honcho Bob Arum.

The former pound-for-pound king though cannot book a bout any time soon because the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license for 90 days. The suspension aims to prevent any serious physical damage to Pacquiao who was knocked out soundly by Marquez in the sixth round of their fourth encounter.

Pacquiao also lost his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against unbeaten American Timothy Bradley via split decision in June last year.

But the veteran boxing promoter Salud said he believes that Pacquiao still got a lot of mileage in him but he must choose between politics and boxing.

“Pacquiao remains to be the strongest and fastest boxer of all time, but he needs to focus more on his boxing career. If he focuses very well, no one can beat Manny for sure,” Salud said.

Salud also believes that the much-awaited fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could still happen in 2014 simply because of its huge financial potential, “If you’ll look at it, the money is there. So I know it could still happen.”