Pres. Arroyo’s Party Secures Ringside Tickets For ‘Dream Match’

by ALEX P. VIDAL

At least 20 members of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) headed by its chairman Ronaldo Puno have reportedly secured ringside tickets in the “Dream Match” between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao, a bonafide member of KAMPI, the mother political party of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is being pencilled to run for congressman in 2010 under the party that sworn in the world lightweight champion in May this year.

Puno, secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), will reportedly lead a big bunch of politicians, mostly congressmen and mayors, who will cheer for their partymate who will fight for the first time in the welterweight (147 lbs) division.

“Some of them have not yet revealed their itinerary for fear that they would be criticized for the junket,” said a former city mayor who requested strict anonymity because he was not allowed to reveal the names of those who will fly to Las Vegas to watch the fight.

Among the other non-KAMPI and KAMPI members but are political allies of Pres. Arroyo who have confirmed their attendance were House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado “Dado” Arroyo, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, Senators Lito Lapid, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Bacolod city mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia.

KAMPI was formed during the run up to the 1998 presidential elections as the vehicle for then Senator Arroyo’s vice presidential campaign, after she defected from the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, the party she had been with since she was first elected in 1995. Vicente Sotto III was picked to be her running mate. Before the filing of candidacies, she decided to be the running mate of then Lakas-NUCD-UMDP presidential hopeful Jose de Venecia. As a result, KAMPI coalesced with Lakas-NUCD-UMDP during the 1998 presidential elections.

It was not immediately known if first Gentleman Miguel “Mike” Arroyo will also watch the historic fight.

Pacquiao’s ‘Big Heart’ Will Make A Difference

VS De La Hoya

“Although there is difference in size, you can’t measure a man’s heart.” Thus was the stern warning made by Las Vegas-based boxing analyst Joaquin Hagedorn, Jr. referring to World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao who will face Oscar De La Hoya in a megabuck 12-round non-title showdown in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 6 in a “Dream Match.”

“Manny (Pacquiao) is No. 1 in the sport when it comes to discipline and training. When he trains one can see in his face his determination to win,” he added. “Man, he is now the number one fighter in the world pound-for-pound.”

Hagedorn revealed that The Ring magazine, the bible of boxing, recently interviewed 20 boxing experts in the United States that include editors, trainers, promoters, and world champions and 18 of them predicted that De La Hoya would easily steamroll the 29-year-old Filipino ring hero.

Only two claimed Pacquiao will whip the good looking Golden Boy who are WBC world champion Timothy Bradley and Jim Strickland, trainer of Pacquiao’s victim David Diaz.

De La Hoya enjoys the edge in height at 5' 11" to Pacquiao’s 5' 6" and reach at 73 inches compared to Pacquiao’s 68 inches but “Pacquiao’s big heart will make a difference,” said Hagedorn who planed in from Las Vegas to join the Team Paquiao in Los Angeles, California after the Thanksgiving Day.

Pacquiao had no problem reducing his weight from 151 pounds a week ago to 141 pounds as of November 26. He and the 35-year-old De La Hoya, who maintains a training camp in Big Bear, California, are expected to tip the scale at 147 lbs or less on December 5.

Pacquiao continues to jog early in the morning assisted by conditioning guru Alex Ariza. He goes to the Wild Card gym in Hollywood for his regular workout under the tutelage of famed coach Freddie Roach.

Lightweight Pacquiao, the fight business’ best boxer pound-for-pound, and junior middleweight De La Hoya, a 10-time world champion, have agreed to rumble in the welterweight division.

Meanwhile, of the 20 experts interviewed by The Ring magazine in its recent issue, one of them was former WBC lightweight champion David Diaz, who saw Pacquiao losing to the “heavier” 1992 Barcelona Olympics gold medalist.

Diaz, 32, was dethroned by Pacquiao in Las Vegas on June 28 via the 9th round knockout.

PACQUIAO: WBC Sanction Fees

Is A Thing of the Past

LOS ANGELES, California — While he prepares for his “Dream Match” against Oscar De La Hoya, Filipino ring titan Manny Pacquiao wants to bury the controversial sanction fees issue with the World Boxing Council (WBC) and focus on how to defeat the most charismatic pugilist to ever grace the fight business on Decmber 6 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao referred to the $30,000 sanction fee the WBC had wanted him to pay for this rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez in March this year where he scored a scary 12-round split decision.

No less than Sulaiman, son of WBC president Jose, has confirmed that “any outstanding differences have already been settled with Manny Pacquiao.”

Earlier, the WBC wanted Pacquiao to cough up another $100,000 as sanction fee for his 12-round non-title duel with De La Hoya. Although no WBC title will be at stake on December 6, the WBC ruled that Pacquiao still owes the world boxing body the bill for being the reigning WBC light-weight champion.

Pacquiao, however, decided to relinquish the WBC 135-lb throne he snatched from David Diaz on June 28. Thus sources said he will climb up the ring sans any financial responsibility with the WBC. /MP