Adams dares Pacquiao

Stylish former World Boxing Association (WBA) superbantamweight champion Clarence (Bones) Adams is itching to lay his gloves on Manny Pacquiao.

"I want to get a fight with Pacquiao," said Adams, quoted by Paul Upham in The Fist Magazine (June 2002). "Bob (Arum) is negotiating with them (Pacquiao’s agents) right now. He offered me three opponents and I told him I wanted Pacquiao. An inside source told me that Larry Merchant (Home Box Office TV analyst) was pushing for a Pacquiao-Adams fight so you have to love Larry for that. Pacquiao is a tough fighter to face. He is strong and fast, takes a good punch and is a very talented fighter. A hard fighter to beat but I’m ready for the challenge."

In Adams’ last two outings, he lost decisions to Paulie Ayala but bankrolled a total of $1.1 Million. That’s how much Adams is worth in the market. Surely, if Pacquiao takes him on, the money will be quite a sum for both sides.

Adams, 27, started fighting when he was five and appeared in 180 amateur bouts before turning pro at the age of 15 in 1990. He’s not known for his punching power–his 41-5-3 slate shows only 19 knockouts. But Bones, a scrawny white Kentucky counterpuncher, is a ring survivor. He’s never been floored although his record is tainted by three stoppage defeats.

In 1993, Adams was halted by Orlando Canizales in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight title bout in France. Canizales broke Adams’ jaw in the third round. Adams refused to surrender and held on until his father Clarence, Sr. threw in the towel in the 11th after Canizales landed a vicious left hook on the fractured jaw. To his credit, Adams never went down. It was Adams’ first loss ever and he was only 18.

Then there were setbacks to Frank Toledo and Jeff Trimble. Adams dislocated his left shoulder in both fights and had to retire. The shoulder has since been repaired.

In 1998, Adams semi-retired from boxing and managed the family’s pizza business. He took time off to be with his wife Nina and children Alexa, 6, and Gage, 9, whom he had neglected because of his unforgiving profession. But the lure of the ring proved to be an irresistible temptation. Adams was back in harness in 1999 and a year later, outpointed Nestor Garza to wrest the WBA 122-pound crown. He then repulsed challengers Andres Fernandez and Ivan Alvarez before bowing to Ayala twice in a row.

When informed of Adams’ dare, Pacquiao said he’s not afraid of anybody. He’ll face whomever his business manager Rod Nazario lines up–Adams, Naseem Hamed, Johnny Tapia, Ayala.

Pacquiao’s dream is to unify the superbantamweight championship. The problem, he said, is World Boxing Council (WBC) titleholder Willie Jorrin of Sacramento and WBA ruler Yoddamrong Sithyodthong of Thailand aren’t willing to duke it out. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach also works Jorrin’s corner. Roach said Jorrin doesn’t stand a chance against Pacquiao.

Apparently, IBF president Marian Muhammad will oblige Pacquiao to stake his crown against the No. 1 contender before the year ends. But for some mysterious reason, the top two slots in the IBF ratings are vacant. So no No. 1 contender exists at this time. There is talk of No. 3 Fahprakob Rakkiat-gym of Thailand and No. 7 Jose Luis Valbuena of Argentina slugging it out for the right to challenge Pacquiao in a mandatory defense. The fight was originally set last May 23 but it didn’t materialize.

Nazario isn’t waiting for the IBF to decide on who’s next in Pacquiao’s agenda. He’s planning a non-title fight here in August then another defense–maybe against Adams–in the US in September or October.

What about IBF featherweight champion Johnny Tapia?

Pacquiao said he’d like to square off with Tapia because a victory will be historic. Taking away Tapia’s IBF featherweight title will make Pacquiao the only Filipino to capture world crowns in three different divisions.

But Nazario’s business associate Lito Mondejar–who was in Pacquiao’s corner when he stopped Jorge Julio in Memphis last Saturday–said the timing isn’t right for a move up to the featherweight division. Pacquiao weighed only 120 pounds for Julio and didn’t even need to cut down on his food intake. Mondejar said Pacquiao will be too light for Tapia who’s comfortable at 126 pounds.

Will Mondejar consider a rematch against Nedal Hussein, the lanky Australian who decked Pacquiao and lost on cuts in an Antipolo brawl two years ago? Hussein is now the World Boxing Union (WBU) superbantamweight titlist and performed in the curtain raiser of Saturday’s card in Memphis.

Hussein, a Lebanese born in Australia, bumped into Pacquiao at the weigh-in the day before the Memphis show. He told Mondejar he’d like a rematch but only on neutral grounds. So who’s Hussein to dictate terms on Pacquiao?

Hussein beat Filipino Ronnie Longakit on a unanimous six-round decision on the Memphis card. Longakit is based in Denver, Colorado, and has now dropped three in a row since relocating to the U.S. last September. He was previously knocked out by Justo Sencion in Atlantic City and outpointed by Darling Jiminez in Bushkill, Pennsylvania.

For Pacquiao, it doesn’t matter whom he fights next just as long as the price is right.