In an update to a prior report, it's looking more and more like 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao will indeed move forward with his previously planned November 10 return to the ring. Just days ago, both his adviser, Michael Koncz, and Top Rank President Todd duBoef reported that they were planning on postponing his fight date to December 1 to prevent Pacquiao from having to miss valuable training time due to a requirement for him to be physically present in the Philippines in early October to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for re-election. It turns out, however, that their information was incorrect, as James Jimenez, spokesman for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), revealed that Pacquiao can file his certificate of candidacy by simply sending the documents with an authorized representative. A source with knowledge of the situation has maintained all along that the issue of the date change was simply a smokescreen that afforded promoter Bob Arum the opportunity to resolve a difference of opinion about purse guarantees for certain opponents. Evidently, that source appears to be right on the money.
"It's not so much the political end; there are issues with the December 1st date....a television issue, and that's the problem, so that's what we're trying to work out," Koncz recently explained to Rick Reeno of Boxingscene.com, as if HBO, or any other network, would turn down the opportunity to televise a Manny Pacquiao in favor of anyone else not named Floyd Mayweather. When informed of the latest comments being made by Koncz, our source chuckled and replied, "I told you he'd probably be moving forward on November 10th. On top of that, Bob Arum did make a few phone calls to some people about fighting Bradley, so it looks like they're leaning towards Marquez. Manny must have put his foot down regarding the guarantee. Good for him. Marquez was the only real option to begin with in order to make that kind of money, because you know Cotto was never really a choice. Knowing Arum, he probably leaked the December 1st date to scare Marquez into thinking they were going another direction. That probably made Marquez come down off of his demands. I guess technically, both guys are still possible, because Bradley is still the cheapest option, but at this point, I'd say it's looking like Marquez."
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