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Top Rank promoter Bob Arum admits he is “not very happy” about Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao’s failure to show up for a planned press conference on May 3 forcing Arum to postpone the event for May 13.


In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Arum said “I am not very happy about it but we’ll make the best of it.”

He said he had spoken to celebrated trainer Freddie Roach and indicated “we have a busy promotional schedule” stating that Pacquiao won't get time to rest on his off-days “because that’s the price he has to pay.”

Arum said plans call for Pacquiao to fly to Chicago “which is quite a distance”, San Francisco , San Diego and Phoenix as well as to hold “a public workout in a park in Los Angeles where the area is mostly populated by Filipinos.”

Arum took a good-natured dig at reports that Pacquiao had gone scuba diving in Cebu saying “scuba diving is not good for anyone, including the fish."

In fact there has been some concern that while Pacquiao appears to be relaxing, Diaz is training hard in Chicago where he told well-known boxing writer Ron Borges, “Pacquiao is a top fighter in his prime but when I look at him I see a guy I can hit real easy. I see a guy I can beat.”

Arum as well as Roach have cautioned Pacquiao about taking Diaz lightly. He told us that Diaz “is not only a tough fighter he is a determined fighter. He stays in there and has a rock hard chin. Manny has to be prepared to go twelve tough rounds with him.”

Pacquiao is scheduled to leave for Los Angeles on May 10 after he attends the oath taking of the new Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano who is reportedly a close friend.

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