By Ronnie Nathanielsz
FILIPINO ring idol Manny Pacquiao will face undefeated KO artist Edwin “Dinamita” Valero of Venezuela in a fight that will take place in the United States later this year, according to leading South African boxing promoter and manager Branco Milenkovic.
Milenkovic was quoted by Super Sports in South Africa as saying he had been told by influential Japanese boxing man and prominent business leader Akihiko Honda that Valero, who has been living in Japan, would fight Pacquiao next.
Honda promotes the undefeated 25-year-old southpaw Valero, who has a remarkable record of 22 knockouts in 22 wins and in his last fight on May 3, retained his World Boxing Association super featherweight title with an eighth-round TKO over Nobuhito Honmo.
Valero won the title with a 10th-round TKO over Vicente Mosquera on Aug. 5, 2006 after earlier scoring a first-round TKO to win a title eliminator against Whyber Garcia on Feb. 25 last year,
Pacquiao, who is also a southpaw and is 28 years old, has a record of 44-3-2 with 25 knockouts and in his last fight, scored an eighth-round TKO over previously undefeated but unknown Jorge Solis on April 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Solis fight came at the end of an epic trilogy against legendary Mexican Erik “El Terrible” Morales.
Milenkovic revealed Honda told him Valero would fight Pacquiao next in America when he was asked about reports that he was finalizing negotiations with Honda for a Valero title defense against newly crowned International Boxing Federation champion Mzonke Fana. The IBF king won the title from another South African Malcolm Klassen last April 20.
Klassen was among 10 fighters listed as possible opponents for Pacquiao by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum before the Solis fight was finalized.
Milenkovic was in Japan for the World Boxing Council bantamweight title fight, in which Simpiwe Vetyeka failed in his title bid against Japan’s Hozumi Hasegawa.
Noting that only the WBC and WBA were recognized in Japan, Milenokvic said a unification bout between Fana and Valero was impossible because of Japan’s refusal to work with the IBF.
Besides, Milenkovic said: “I have been told Valero will fight in the US next and it would be against Pacquiao.”
Months ago, Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez told Viva Sports/Standard Today that Valero will have to pass a medical test in the US before he is cleared to fight, following a nasty motorcycle accident several years ago.
At the same time, Gomez said Golden Boy has Valero under contract for fights in the US.