Pacquiao-Barrera winner gets crack at WBC crown

Less than a month before what many consider the "breakthrough fight" of his flourishing boxing career, Manny Pacquiao said yesterday he’s ready and raring to take on Marco Antonio Barrera in a clash that could pave the way for the Filipino champion’s crack at a cherished World Boxing Council championship.

This came about after WBC president Jose Sulaiman spoke exclusively to SecondsOut Thursday where he confirmed that "the winner of this great bout will be the official mandatory challenger for the world championship."

The WBC featherweight (126lbs) title is currently vacant but the winner of this Saturday’s contest between top contenders Injin Chi and Michael Brodie in England will lift Erik Morales’s old strap. Sulaiman said he’s happy the No.1 and No.2 contenders are contesting a vacant title and was keen to point out the winner of this will face the winner of mouth-watering clash between Barrera and Pacquiao on Nov. 15 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

That could further boost Pacquiao’s confidence even as the reigning IBF super-bantamweight king, together with Barrera, faced the international media and formally announced their mega-12-round "People’s Championship of the World" fight next month.

"I have done my assignment. I have studied Barrera’s style, and trained hard for this fight. I am now ready for Barrera. Let the chips fall where they may," said Pacquiao, aware that a victory over the Mexican idol will also catapult him into the elite circle of Filipino greats Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, Pancho Villa and Ceferino Garcia.

The Filipino champ has so far sparred against the likes of British superfeather champ Alex Arthur, ex—world champ Johnny Tapia, and Ireland’s unbeaten featherweight prospect Bernard Dunne.

Others who graced the star-studded presscon was Oscar De La Hoya, founder of the Golden Boy Enterprises, which promotes this HBO card also dubbed as the "Clash of the Titans." In the co-main event, hometown boy "Jessie" James Leija (44-6-2) will take on Fernando Mena (17-4-2). It will be telecast live on HBO.

The Golden Boy himself was as excited as the protagonists, saying: "Pacquiao always gives a great performance, we have all seen what he can do on HBO. He has excellent power."