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THE MANILA ICEMAN RIDES AGAIN: APRIL 14 AGAINST JORGE SOLIS LIVE ON PPV FROM SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS |
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The Manila Iceman cometh! Boxing’s pound-for-pound most exciting fighter
MANNY “PAC-MAN” PACQUIAO returns to the international spotlight when he
makes his 2007 debut, defending his World Boxing Council
International super
featherweight title against undefeated Mexican dynamo
JORGE
“COLORADITO” SOLIS. The 12-round rumble will headline an
all-action card, broadcast
live on pay-per-view
(9 P.M. ET / 6 P.M. PT) from The Alamodome, in San Antonio, TX,
Saturday, April 14. Between them, they boast a combined
professional record of 75 wins – 3 losses – 4 draws, and 57 KOs – a winning
percentage exceeding 91%! This will be Pacquiao's first fight in Texas
since knocking out Marco Antonio Barrera at The Alamodome in 2003.
Promoted by Top Rank, this pay-per-view extravaganza will
also feature a Mexican civil war between WBC super flyweight champion
CRISTIAN MIJARES (30-3-2, 11 KOs), from Gomez Palacio,
Mexico, defending his title against two-time world
champion and current No. 1 contender JORGE "EL TRAVIESO" ARCE (46-3-1,
35 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico; former world champion and current No. 1
contender BRIAN VILORIA (19-1-1, 12 KOs), from
Waipahu, Hawaii, taking on No. 2 contender EDGAR SOSA (26-5,
14 KOs), from Mexico City, Mexico, for the vacant WBC light flyweight title;
and undefeated contender, JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, Jr.
(29-0-1, 22 KOs), from Culiacan, Mexico, son of Mexican icon
Julio Cesar Chavez, in a 10-round welterweight bout.
Tickets for Pacquiao vs. Solis, which go on sale
Dubbed "Republica Enemy No. 1," Pacquiao, a three-division
world champion, has blitzed through the best fighters Mexico had to offer
since 2003, including Morales (KO 3, TKO 10), Barrera (TKO 11), Oscar Larios
(W 12), Emanuel Lucero (TKO 3), and Hector Velazquez (TKO 6). The only
“blemish” was a disputed Draw that many thought he won against Juan Manuel
Marquez in 2004, where Pacquiao sent Marquez to the canvas three times in
the first round.
A proven pay-per-view star, the Pacquiao-Morales trilogy
produced over one million pay-per-view sales, a record for the lower weight
divisions. The live attendance for their rubber match rumble last November
produced a live gate of 18,276, fifth-best on Las Vegas’ all-time list.
"Manny Pacquiao is exciting, charismatic and everyone worldwide
wants to see him in the ring," said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank. "He
literally is boxing’s superhero. You say ‘Pac-Man’ and it’s like saying
‘Superman’ or ‘Batman.’ Everyone knows him, loves to see him in action and
he strikes fear in the hearts of his opponents. From top to bottom, this is
one of the best cards Top Rank has ever promoted. Talk about
pound-for-pound excitement. Boxing fans attending the event or watching it
on pay-per-view will most certainly be saying "Remember the Alamodome!" at
the end of the evening."
Pacquiao, (43-3-2, 33 KOs), from General Santos City, The
Philippines, was named “2006 Fighter of the Year” by the Boxing Writers
Association of America and The Ring magazine for his two
spectacular knockout victories of Mexican icon and three-division champion
Erik Morales and his dominating 12-round unanimous 12-round decision over
former world champion and current No. 1 contender Oscar Larios. Since
The Ring originated the award in 1928, only six fighters below the
lightweight division - Henry Armstrong (1937), Willie Pep ('45), Carlos
Zarate ('77), Salvador Sanchez ('81), Michael Carbajal ('93), Paulie Ayala
('99) - have been previously selected for the magazine's top honor. Pacquiao
is number seven. The hard-hitting southpaw has only lost once in his last 20
bouts, a close decision in 2005 to Morales in their first encounter.
Boxing
columnist Graham Houston reported from ringside, "Marvin Hagler against
Thomas Hearns remains the greatest three-round fight in boxing history, but
Manny Pacquiao's third round destruction of Erik Morales can surely be
mentioned in the same breath. The rubber match between the 130-pound rivals
was fast and furious while it lasted... This was, quite simply, the best
Pacquiao we have yet seen: a two-handed punching machine who displayed
greater ring generalship and more upper body
movement than I think he has ever shown before."