**Breaking News: Pacquiao-Valero Almost Done!**

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Top Rank promoter Bob Arum hopes to finalize the first title defense of newly crowned World Boxing Council lightweight champion and Filipino national treasure Manny Pacquiao against undefeated KO artist Edwin Valero in a meeting in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

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In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Arum said that he was “pretty close to making a deal with (Akihiko) Honda,” the well-known Japanese businessman-sportsman who handles Valero, adding “hopefully I will be able to finalize it tomorrow (Monday in the US.)”

Arum said he has had a couple of discussions with Honda in Las Vegas and said “I think we are in a position to close the deal” He referred to Valero as “the phenomenal kid who has won every single fight by knockout.”

The astute promoter first mentioned the plans for a Pacquiao-Valero title fight in a conversation with Viva Sports special correspondent Romy Sajer during the l tour stop and pep rally in Chicago to promote the recent Pacquiao-Diaz “Lethal Combination” showdown.

Arum said Valero who is the reigning World Boxing Association super featherweight champion was, like Pacquiao, having trouble making the 130 pound limit and would move up to lightweight to take on Pacquiao.

Valero won the super featherweight title with a tenth round TKO over Vicente Mosquera on August 5, 2006 and has successfully defended his title four times, the last defense being on June 12 this year when he scored a seventh round TKO over Japan’s Takehiro Shimada.

Although Valero, a southpaw like Pacquiao has a remarkable record of 19 first round knockouts in 24 fights all of which he won by knockout, he hasn’t really fought top caliber boxers so far.

Arum said as of now only Texas has cleared Valero to fight in the US. After Valero signed up with Golden Boy Promotions who scheduled him on an HBO fight card in January 2004, he failed a brain scan in New York and was not given a clearance to fight in the U.S. However, last March he was cleared to fight by the Texas Commission and Arum is hoping Nevada will follow the Texas example.

The problem was caused by a severe motorcycle accident in February 2001 when Valero who was not wearing a helmet fractured his skull and had surgery to remove a blood clot.

Arum said the Pacquiao-Valero showdown may take place in Las Vegas “after the Nevada State Athletic Commission reviews the paper work and approve Valero to fight in Nevada.”

Arum added, “everybody who knows anything about boxing can’t wait for that fight.”

 

in one night/card?
Pacquiao-Valero would be d main event :rofl j/k