Manny Pacquiao Considering China for Lack of Mayweather Fanfare?
Manny Pacquiao is reportedly thinking about fighting in China for his next bout, and the reason may be to avoid the fanfare of Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao,34-year-old Filipino pugilist, has yet to file the necessary paperwork with the Nevada State Athletic Commission that would be needed to fight in the state this year. Although Pacquiao has engaged in his last four bouts in Nevada, NSAC director Keith Kizer recently revealed that the congressman and pugilist had yet to confirm that he would be fighting there this year.
"We haven't received any application for 2013," Kizer said in an ESPN report recently.
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Bob Arum of Top Rank promotions that manages Pacquiao said that a tax raise of 4.6 percent could keep Pacquiao from fighting in the United States, where he has undergone his past 12 bouts.
"[Pacquiao] says that he doesn't want to fight in the United States because of the high taxes which I can hardly blame him and you know Marquez faces the same high taxes. The administration didn't help raising the tax rates from 35 percent to 39.6 percent," Arum said in an ESPN report. "You know, there's a limit to what these guys wanna pay, you know, that's almost 40 percent of his purse going for taxes, that's a lot."
While ESPN UK reports that Mexico and Singapore are fighting destinations being considered by Pacquiao, China may also be an option for the Filipino. In the Asian country, Pacquiao is more popular than his much anticipated foe that has yet to face him in the ring, Floyd Mayweather.
"In China they never heard of Mayweather, so they heard of Pacquiao they love Pacquiao. Apparently they're not much interested in Mayweather," Arum said in the ESPN report.
Although Mayweather has made it clear that he intends to fight next May, there is no word if Pacquiao will be his next opponent.
