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Manny Pacquiao Dumps Showtime for HBO, Keeps Koncz
July 25, 2011
Pound-for-pound boxing king Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) will fight on HBO instead of Showtime this Nov. 12 against long-time rival Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs).
According to Boxing Scene, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum will officially announce the network of choice later this week.
HBO has handled most of Pacquiao's major pay-per-views up until a dispute caused Arum to jump to Showtime to air Pacquiao's battle against Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) this past May.
Arum said earlier that he was examining offers from both, but HBO apparently has offered the more attractive offer.
In other news, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz is back in the camp. Pacquiao said, while pointing at Koncz, "...see, he's here. No problem!"
Rumors arrived that Koncz was being fired after contradicting interview statements from Team Pacquiao that said they had agreed to all of Floyd Mayweather's testing stipulations during previous negotiations.
With Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) fighting Sept. 17 against Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) and Pacquiao fighting Nov. 12 on the same network, the possibility of a clash on HBO PPV between the two boxing icons grows closer...even if only slightly.
