by Ronnie Nathanielsz
World Boxing Organization vice president for Asia and the Pacific, Leon Panoncillo, has been appointed as the WBO supervisor for the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 7.
WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel told the Inquirer that he had appointed Panoncillo as fight supervisor. He said "it is an honor that he deserves because he has been working hard and Pacquiao is a great hero of the whole of Asia and the whole world."
Valcarcel said "Pacquiao is a hero especially for Asia and the Philippines and you know Leon has a Filipino heritage because his family is from the Philippines and I love the Filipinos because I got Filipinos in my family" referring to his daughter-in-law who is a Filipina.
Valcarel also told us that the representatives of WBO minimum weight champion Donnie Nietes and mandatory challenger Raul "Rayito" Garcia met on Friday here in Las Vegas and "they have an agreement that they have to inform me. I don't think it has been finished yet but they are close to decide where the fight will take place."
The WBO president said "probably the fight will take place in the Philippines because I talked to the Mexicans and informed them that Nietes has to fight in the Philippines. The Filipino people want to see their champion there because Nietes has been fighting in Mexico."
Nietes made his last three title defenses in Mexico and wants to fight before his hometown fans. Valcarcel appreciates Nietes' position and that of ALA Promotions and said "finally they are going to fight in April in the Philippines.
He said the purse bid will take place at the WBO headquarters in Puerto Rico next week.
