13.02.07 – Michael Marley, BoxingConfidential.com: Top Rank titan Bob Arum will formally announce Tuesday his April 14 self-distributed PPV boxing spectacular featuring Manny Pacquaio-Jorge Solis on top. Arum vowed that neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow or legal complications will prevent “Mexican Assassin” Manny Pacquaio from trying to add another scalp to his growing collection. “We don’t have the name for the show yet,” Arum said. “We are working on something along the lines of the Mexican Assassin. This is Manny trying to chop down yet another rugged, tough Mexican fighter. I hope that, if Manny wins and comes out of this OK, he will fight in the summer or in September and then fight very late in the year. I want him to have three fights for 2007.” ..
Arum said he would offer “a great card” above and beyond Pacman-Solis. Mexican world champion Jorge Arce will fight as will rising son of the legend Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Brian Viloria, the Hawaiian-Filipino ex-world champion. Arum hadn’t heard the latest buzz from the PI, as reported by reliable Nick Giongco in The Manila Bulletin, that Pacman might, temporarily at least, put his political candidacy plans aside to concentrate on boxing. Arum said he was unconcerned about politics distracting his big star. “For me,” Arum said, “it’s a great marketing gimmick. I do think he would be better off running for Congress than for Mayor of Gensan. Congressmen don’t do anything but a mayor has real administrative duties. Being a mayor is a lot of work and brings with it a lot responsibility.”
Arum said there will be a summary judgment hearing in a Los Angeles federal court regarding the Pacman promotional dispute with Golden Boy. Judges rarely grant such motions by either side and, in fact, they are only supposed to knock out a case when there is no single issue of triable fact. “They have no chance to get a motion for summary judgment,” lawyer Arum said. “We have a better chance to get one than they do but getting one is very, very difficult.”
Arum said that the ongoing legal battle should not distract Pacman. Arum repeated earlier statements that he expects Pacquaio to shift his training from the PI to Los Angeles six weeks before the April 14 show.