By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The World Boxing Organization will make a special belt for the winner of what promises to be an all-out action fight between “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao and exciting Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios at the Cotai Arena in the sprawling Venetian Resort Hotel on November 24.
WBO Asia Pacific vice president Leon Panoncillo announced that Pacquiao and Rios will fight for the WBO International welterweight title and “a special belt is being made for the winner” of what both Panoncillo and WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel said will be one of “the most spectacular events in the world. It will be huge.”
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who joined the two fighters and their trainers on a promotional tour which kicked off in Beijing on Monday and will have a press conference today, said he expects the television coverage “to reach more people than the last Olympic Games in China (in 2008)” even as the fights being staged in Macau now emphasizes that the world is a very small place.”
Both fighters are making a stop in Beijing as part of their world-wide media tour which will also include stops in Shanghai, Singapore, New York and finally ending up in Los Angeles.
Arum promised that the Top Rank card on November 24 “will be outstanding because Pacquiao vs Rios is a very exciting title fight.”
Arum emphasized that Macau “is not just about gaming, its about bringing all sorts of entertainment and this event will do that.”
He said “people will be coming from all over, especially from the Philippines” which is less than two hours away by plane and since the Venetian “will be offering special packages for fans from the Philippines” where Pacquiao is not merely a two-term congressman but a hero to millions.
