Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is cautioning Manny Pacquiao not to take his Nov. 23 defense of the world welterweight crown for granted.
Pacquiao is set to face Chris Algieri and the Top Rank chief told the Bulletin yesterday that the Filipino star should focus on boxing in the light of Pacquiao’s foray into the world professional basketball.
Pacquiao will call the shots for Kia Motors when the PBA opens shop on Oct. 19 and the fighting congressman is also going to make his presence felt when the annual draft is held on Aug. 24.
“He can’t do both (boxing and basketball),” Arum said from Los Angeles, fully aware of the plans to put up Pacquiao’s training camp on the same venue where the basketball squad is going to hold its practice sessions.
Arum said the site of Pacquiao’s training camp will be discussed during the six-city press tour beginning Aug. 25 in Macau.
Arum said the promo tour will continue to Shanghai and onward to the US mainland for stops in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York.
“We’ll talk to Manny if it is possible that he spend six weeks in Los Angeles,” said the 82-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer.
If Pacquiao turns it down, something that is very likely, Arum would suggest that he set up camp in General Santos City, stressing his stint in the PBA is an added distraction.
Algieri is the overwhelming underdog against Pacquiao but the native New Yorker insists he has what it takes to shock the world.
While Team Pacquiao is still unsure as to the place where to train, Algieri’s is already right in place.
After spending six weeks either in New York or Las Vegas, Algieri will travel to Macau way ahead of so the fighter and his team can adjust to the time difference and local conditions in the former Portuguese colony.