PACQUIAO WILL BE AT RINGSIDE WHEN MELINDO BATTLES ESTRADA FOR WBO FLYWEIGHT TITLE/Ronnie Nathanielsz

Eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao will be at special ringside guest when undefeated mandatory challenger Milan Melindo battles Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico for the WBO flyweight title which Estrada won in an impressive performance against from WBO/WBA champion Brian Viloria last April 6 at the plush Cotai Arena of the Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Macau, China.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz informed the Manila Standard that the final details were worked out between him and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Koncz said Pacquiao and his opponent in his return to the ring after the stunning 6th round knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez, exciting Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios will be in Macau on the eve of the Melindo-Estrada title showdown and will have a “meet and greet with top executives of the Venetian and then attend the fight card promoted by Top Rank in the evening.

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer welcomed the news of Pacquiao’s presence at the Macau fight card. He said “this is definitely good news and will be a big boost for the fight” although he conceded it would “put pressure on Melindo to perform well and all of us.”

The fight card will be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN on Sunday, July 28 at 10:00 a.m. on Channel 2.

However, Aldeguer said Melindo is “focused because this is what he’s been waiting for although he knows its going to be a tough fight.”

He said Melindo’s strength and conditioning is being handled by  Pio solon and Abet Biagan of the Philippine team who is “working on endurance and nutrition” even as they realized that in the Viloria fight, Estrada appeared to get stronger as the fight progressed.

Pacquiao and Rios will hold a 1:00 p.m. press conference on Sunday, July 28 after which they will fly to China in the late afternoon for a swing through three of its biggest cities with press conferences in Guangzhou on July 29, Beijing on July 30 and Shanghai on July 31 after which they will fly to New York for a two city media blitz .

Koncz told the Standard they will be in New York from August 1-3 for a big press conference and interviews at the ESPN studio plus a photo shoot.

An added attraction at the press conference will be the presence of some of the greatest fighters past and present who appeared on HBO although no names were mentioned as of this time.

The entourage will leave New York on a late afternoon flight to Los Angeles for a press conference on August 5 after which Pacquiao will take the evening flight to Manila on  August 7 after a special HBO shoot that same morning.