Arum sees bloody fight against Cotto  

SAN DIEGO, California - A fight in mid-March 2010 is already being lined up for Manny Pacquiao by Top Rank chief Bob Arum assuming of course the Filipino fighter repulses Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico on November 14.

Arum is not looking past Cotto, telling reporters during a road trip here from Los Angeles on Tuesday that Pacquiao can’t afford to take his next fight as though it’s just a tuneup for his 2010 debut.

“One thing is for sure, if he wins, it won’t be easy. It’s going to be tough for Manny,” said Arum. “It’s going to be bloody.”

Pacquiao told the same writers on a private plane that brought them here from Los Angeles over the weekend that he is also keen on getting into the ring in the first quarter of 2010.

A victory in March against a soon-to-be-named foe should boost his political ambitions since he has already committed to run for congress in the province of Sarangani.

“Manny told me about the elections in May so he said March is okay (for him to fight again),” said Arum.

The identity of Pacquiao’s next foe remains a mystery and the result of two crucial fights – this Saturday’s match between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel Marquez and his own bout with Cotto – should give them an idea who is on the horizon.

Still, if a fight against the winner of the Mayweather-Marquez bout cannot be made, there are a couple of options for Arum and Pacquiao.

There is unbeaten Venezuelan knockout king Edwin Valero, who also fights under the Top Rank banner. The problem with Valero is the fact that he has yet to get his license to fight in the state of Nevada because of a medical condition.

Although Valero has secured a clearance to fight in the state of Texas, he remains banned in all the other states for a head injury he sustained several years ago in a motorcycle accident in Venezuela.

The five-city, six-day publicity tour for the Pacquiao-Cotto slugfest finally came to its conclusion here when Pacquiao threw the ceremonial pitch in a game featuring the Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Petco Park where the host ball club hosted a Filipino Heritage Night.

Pacquiao arrived at the ballpark two hours ahead of the scheduled game and was given the chance to chill out in one of the VIP rooms as he was awaiting the call to throw.

The Petco Park is the third ballpark Pacquiao visited during the tour after taking center stage at Yankee Satdium in New York and at the AT&T Park in San Francisco last Sunday.

From San Diego, Pacquiao and key members of his team were to be flown back to Los Angeles on board a private plane to catch a 10:30 p.m. Philippine Airlines flight bound for Manila.

Source: mb.com.ph