Manny Pacquiao will likely fight in September if he loses in the elections on May 10, according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. Arum said in an interview with BoxingTalks.com's G. Leon that Pacquiao is expected to resume training for a fight sometime in September if he loses against Roy Chiongbian for the lone congressional seat of Sarangani province. But if the 7-division champ and reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king is triumphant in his 2nd attempt to become a member of Congress, Arum said the fight will be moved later this year. “If he wins the election, he'll probably fight in November, and if he loses the election, he fights in September,” said Arum. In Pacquiao's first attempt at politics in 2007, he lost to South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio. This time around, he's up against the politically-influential Chiongbians of Sarangani, the home province of his wife, Jinkee. Although observers are unsure about Pacquiao's political pursuit, Arum said he is certain about one thing: “Manny Pacquiao is definitely fighting again this year." Should Pacquiao decide to fight either in September or November, he will have to choose among several prospective opponents. Those already mentioned are Floyd Mayweather Jr., Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales. The latest addition is World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Andre Berto, who successfully defended his title Saturday (Sunday in Manila) against Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana. “It would be a great showdown because he (Pacquiao) has never had to deal with my type of speed and power combined,” Berto said in an Examiner.com article by Vivek Wallace. “Some of his opponents had one or the other, but you could make an argument that I'd be the first with that kind of mix,” he added. – ABS
