Yeshmangbetov and his chief trainer Oleg Kovalchuk were supposed to arrive at 6:15 p.m. last night. But his camp informed promoter Bebot Elorde yesterday morning that the flight had been cancelled although the Kazakh and his group have been guaranteed seats to the next flight out of Almaty.
Arnold "Ali" Atienza, whose Manila Sports Council is coordinating for the City of Manila in staging the free-to-the-public show top-billed Bakbakan sa Maynila," said the refurbished Rajah Sulaiman Plaza in Malate will be the venue of Pacquiao and his foe’s first face-to-face meeting tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
The MASCO has been given the go-signal from Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo to make sure everything turns out well during this weekend’s festivities.
"The Kazakh was itching to plane in to relay to the Filipino fight fans about his prediction," said Ali, whose sense of leadership makes him one of the country’s youthful and dynamic sports figures.
"But it has got to wait for one day as he promised to make it known after he sizes up Pacquiao at Rajah Sulaiman," added the former Asian taekwondo champion.
Pacquiao’s International Boxing Federation super bantamweight title won’t be at stake, but a loss will affect his lofty stature in the US.
The southpaw slugger from General Santos City has earned the respect of US newspapers such as the New York Daily News, Houston Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and USA Today. Even the top boxing website fightnews.com considers the 24 year-old Paquiao as the top 122-pounder in the world today.
A fight for the vacant World Boxing Council International bantam throne involving Rhodel Galicia and Johnny Lear, an interim Philippine fly duel featuring unbeaten Cebuano Z Gorres and Roy Balataria, and a special attraction 10-rounder between Bobby Pacquiao and Baby Lorona Jr. have been put together to spice up the main event.