FILIPINO boxing promoter and manager Rex ?Wakee? Salud said yesterday that the raging contractual dispute between Golden Boy Promotions and bitter rival Top Rank over the right to promote the fights of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao will be resolved before December.
Salud made the statement in an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Standard Today hours before boarding a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Manila with Pacquiao, wife Jinkee and Pacquiao?s entourage. A hero?s welcome expected to dwarf previous celebrations has been planned by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.
Salud laughed off the threat of Golden Boy Promotions to file a lawsuit against him, his associate Michael Koncz and Pacquiao?s lawyer Franklin ?Jing? Gacal, following the earlier filing of a case against Bob Arum?s Top Rank Promotions in Los Angeles. The lawsuit charged Top Rank with ?tortuous interference? in the seven-fight contract signed by Pacquiao with Golden Boy in mid-September for which the Filipino ring sensation was given a signing bonus of $350,000 and an advance of $150,000.
The lawsuit followed an announcement by Arum at the Pacquiao-Erik Morales post-fight news conference that he had signed an agreement with MP Promotions for the right to promote Pacquiao?s fights for the next four years, planning to kick-start the deal with a Pacman fight against Edwin Valero at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Macau next March or April.
Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez in a statement sent to Viva Sports/Standard Today that follow-up lawsuits were being prepared against Salud, Koncz and Gacal for allegedly ?conspiring against Golden Boy and inducing Manny to breach his agreement.?
Salud disclosed that Pacquiao had met with Las Vegas lawyer William Coulthard but declined to reveal details.
Koncz claimed Pacquiao had accepted his advice and hired Coulthard to look at the contractual dispute since he had no interest in Pacquiao?s boxing career and that everybody in Team Pacquiao was pulling from every direction.
Reacting to the threatened Golden Boy lawsuit against him, Koncz said: ?I have no concerns about a lawsuit. If they want to file one and proceed after me that?s their option.?
At the same time, Koncz refused to answer questions pertaining to the legal battle and anything concerning the situation saying they had been instructed not to disclose any information.
