TV dispute over, Manny catches up on training

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao was busy trying to entangle himself from a bitter network battle last week, and his May 2 opponent, Ricky Hatton, was busy training and thinking about his future fight.

Pacquiao skipped a day of workout at the Wild Card Gym last Saturday and took a day off the following day, probably tired and stressed out by the negative, unwanted developments.

But all seemed to be well now after Pacquiao himself made it final and official that he is honoring his local TV rights contract with Solar Sports after thinking of switching channels from GMA-7 to ABS-CBN.

Pacquiao was back on the gym yesterday as he heads into the last five or six weeks of training for the big and probably his most dangerous fight with Hatton in Las Vegas.

Hatton, in Manchester, continued to bang away even if he is more than two weeks ahead in training over Pacquiao, who will try to wrest the Briton’s IBO light-welterweight title.

Hatton was scheduled to meet the UK press Tuesday in Manchester before he packs his bag and head for Sin City where he’ll wrap up his training under Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Hatton and Pacquiao are set to meet once more in a media-only function in Los Angeles on March 31. They were in London and Manchester recently, and after the LA gig, the next time they will meet is on the fight week.

Garreth Davis of The Daily Telegraph in UK yesterday reported that Hatton looks confident of getting past Pacquiao that he is already thinking of his next big fight against either Juan Manuel Marquez of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Down the line, later this year, I’d like to fight Marquez, and next summer meet Floyd at Wembley Stadium,” said Hatton, who had originally wanted to face Pacquiao before 100,000 fans at Wembley.

Word coming out of the Mayweather camp is that he’s ready to return to the ring on July 11 — against whom and where nobody knows. But he is said to be back training in his own gym in Vegas.

“I will fight any of the top guys,” Mayweather, the pound-for-pound king before Pacquiao stepped into the picture, said, referring to Marquez, Pacquiao, Hatton and Mosley.

But the flamboyant American who can win fights without throwing too many punches, is no longer in Pacquiao’s radar, with Roach saying “he’s a boring fighter and that Pacquiao may look bad even if they win.”

Pacquiao, should he get past Hatton, is looking at welterweight champ Miguel Cotto, and in case he loses may end up fighting a smaller guy like Edwin Valero. – Abac Cordero