By Michele Emrick
According to World Boxing Organization (WBO) president Francisco Valcarcel, Manny Pacquiao is in for a tough night when he takes on Brandon Rios in Macau on Nov. 23.
“Rios is a tough fight for anybody. He can fight and he’s not afraid of anything. He has this no surrender, no retreat style,” said Valcarcel.
Brandon Rios and Manny Pacquiao are scheduled to face off on Nov. 23 at the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Resort and Casino in Macau for the WBO International title.
At 34, Pacquiao has suffered consecutive defeats. First he dropped a split decision to Timothy Bradley in a fight most boxing experts thought he had won, then he suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of longtime foe Juan Manuel Marquez. Following that loss, many thought that it was all over for Manny Pacquiao, and that perhaps it was time for him to hang up the gloves.
But Valcarcel believes that is a decision to be made by Manny Pacquiao, and not boxing fans.
“He is the only guy that knows it’s over. He was winning the Marquez fight, while the loss to Bradley was very controversial,” he said.
As this fight shows, Macau has become the newest destination for big-time boxing events. In addition to this show, Top Rank has already held two big events there featuring some of the best fighters of Asia, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming, who was the headliner both times.
Valcarcel believes that a return to his part of the world will provide a boost in confidence to Manny Pacquiao. Macau is not too far from his native Philippines.
“It’s like fighting at home with a huge Filipino crowd,” he said.
