MANILA, Philippines – Walang problema kay Top Rank Chief Bob Arum na lumaban si Manny Pacquiao sa harap ng kaniyang mga kababayan sa Pilipinas ngunit hindi niya ito gagastusan.
“Pacquiao up to this point made it plain he's not coming over to fight in Australia,” wika ni Arum kay Steve Kim ng boxingscene.com. “No, he doesn't want to fight in Vegas, either.”
Plano umanong ikasa ni Pacquiao ang rematch kay Horn sa darating ng Disyembre sa Philippine Arena sa Bulacan. Inalok umano ng eight-division champion ang Australyano ng $3 milyon upang itaya ang WBO welterweight championship.
“He wants to fight in the Philippines and with the peso being 52 pesos to the dollar — how the hell is everybody going to get paid, let alone him?" patuloy ng promoter.
“I would love to do a big fight for him in Manila or someplace else in the Philippines but the problem is don't expect me to pay for it,” dagdag niya.
Nang magtuos sina Pacquiao at Horn sa Brisbane, malaking bahagi ng gastusin ang sinagot ng gobyerno ng Queensland. Handa ulit silang gawin ito ngunit kinakailangan ay sa Suncorp Stadium muli ang bakbakan.
Samantala, tulad ni Arum wala ring balak ang Department of Tourism na gastusan ang laban ni Pacquiao.
“The tourism board in the Philippines has told us they'll do everything to help promote the fight except put up money. You've got to respect that,” sabi ni Arum.