Pacquiao’s business manager, Rod Nazario, has already been informed of the working date of the much-awaited Pacquiao-Marquez clash for the Mexican’s World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight titles.

But Nazario declines to make a formal announcement since he and Pacquiao are still scheduled to meet with high-ranking HBO executives sometime next month in New York.

They are traveling to the Big Apple to personally discuss the Filipino’s post-Marquez fights in the event Pacquiao repulses the challenge of the WBA and IBF 126-lb king.

The two were supposed to leave in early-January, but Nazario’s hospitalization  due to kidney problems prevented them from departing.

HBO then told them to come over in the first week of February, but Pacquiao begged off owing to previous commitments in General Santos City and Manila.

"I have already told them (HBO) that we can go there on February 16 or 22," said Nazario. "I am still awaiting their answer."

Pacquiao, 25, is expected to earn $1 million or more if a fight with Marquez, 30, is finalized.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao was voted as the top fighter for 2003 by HBO.

Pacquiao got 74 percent of the votes in an on-line poll conducted by HBO. A far second was Roy Jones Jr, who wound up with just 12 percent. At third was Arturo Gatti with 5 percent and James Toney with 4 percent.

His 11th round destruction of Marco Antonio Barrera in San Antonio, Texas, was also the runaway winner in the Upset of the Year category.

—Nick GIONGCO