“I want Floyd for my next fight,” - Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines — Speaking from his lair in General Santos City, Manny Pacquiao declared that he wants no less than Floyd Mayweather as opponent.

“I want Floyd for my next fight,” Pacquiao said as quoted by his lawyer Franklin Gacal after asking his boss who he wants as his rival for his first fight in 2012.

Although the major players are frugal in making statements regarding negotiations, Gacal said something is going on the past few days, confirming the accounts of meetings being talked about by Top Rank head Bob Arum.

Arum said early this week that investment groups have approached him about putting up the mouth-watering match but did not go into details, saying it might jeopardize the project.

Gacal said they’re being updated on what has taken place and what are being discussed and are keenly awaiting the outcome of the said negotiations that are being kept under wraps.

Last week, upon his return to General Santos City, Pacquiao told the local media that talks have commenced to stage a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown that will go down as the richest in the history of the sport.
Pacquiao is coming off a hard-earned 12-round majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

While Pacquiao told Marquez that he is not ducking a fourth fight with the master counter-puncher, the Filipino is convinced the time is now for him to face off with the brash American puncher.

“The Fight of the Century,” said Gacal, who is keeping his fingers crossed that Pacquiao-Mayweather finally happens next year after efforts to pair them together failed twice.

The major obstacles – random blood testing and revenue sharing – have reportedly been hurdled, paving the way for both parties to talk business.

Meanwhile, Representative Pacquiao plans to bring before the House of Representatives the dumping last weekend by alleged commercial fishing boats of tons of dead tuna along the Sarangani Bay.

Pacquiao, told reporters he would specifically present before the House’s Committee on Fisheries the results of an ongoing investigation on the incident by the local governments of Maasim and Sarangani. (With a report from PNA.

Source: Manila Bulletin -NICK GIONGCO