LOS ANGELES, CALIF (March 17, 2007) –Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank — The Manila Iceman arriveth! Boxing’s pound-for-pound most exciting fighter MANNY “PAC-MAN” PACQUIAO landed at Los Angeles International Airport tonight and was mobbed by a throng of fans that exceeded 600. Pacquiao will resume training This Monday! at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, as he prepares for his 2007 debut, defending his World Boxing Council International super featherweight title against undefeated Mexican dynamo JORGE “COLORADITO” SOLIS..
The 12-round rumble will headline an all-action card, broadcast live on pay-per-view (9 P.M. ET / 6 P.M. PT) from The Alamodome, in San Antonio, TX, Saturday, April 14. Between them, Pacquiao and Solis boast a combined professional record of 75 wins – 3 losses – 4 draws, and 57 KOs – a winning percentage exceeding 91%! This will be Pacquiao’s first fight in Texas since knocking out Marco Antonio Barrera at The Alamodome in 2003.
“I am glad to be back in the United States and I am ready to meet Jorge Soilis head-on in San Antonio next month,” Pacquiao told his cheering fans. “I love San Antonio because that is where I knocked out Marco Antonio Barrera and I am ready to do my best again against Jorge Solis. I am dedicating this fight to my countrymen in The Philippines and to all my fans around the world. I promise everyone this will be a fight to remember!”
Pacquiao and Solis will formally meet with U.S. media at a news conference luncheon at The Palm in Los Angeles, This Wednesday! March 21, following a morning media workout hosted by Solis, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. and Brian Villoria at the Pound-4-Pound Gym in Los Angeles (726 South La Brea Ave.), beginning at 10 A.M. PT
Manny Ilagan, Philippine Consulate General to the United States, was on hand at LAX to present Pacquiao with a traditional “best wishes gift” to show Pacquiao that all Filipinos support him as their champion.
Promoted by Top Rank, this pay-per-view extravaganza will also feature a Mexican civil war between WBC super flyweight champion CRISTIAN MIJARES (30-3-2, 11 KOs), from Gomez Palacio, Mexico, defending his title against two-time world champion and current No. 1 contender JORGE “EL TRAVIESO” ARCE (46-3-1, 35 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico; former world champion and current No. 1 contender BRIAN VILORIA (19-1-1, 12 KOs), from Waipahu, Hawaii, taking on No. 2 contender EDGAR SOSA (26-5, 14 KOs), from Mexico City, Mexico, for the vacant WBC light flyweight title; and undefeated contender, JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, Jr. (29-0-1, 22 KOs), from Culiacan, Mexico, son of Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez, in a 10-round welterweight bout.
Tickets for Pacquiao vs. Solis are priced at $300, $200, $100, $75, $50, $35 and can be purchased at the Alamodome Box Office, by calling (210) 207-3663, and at Ticketmaster.com.