LAS VEGAS ? Oscar dela Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) will sue Top Rank boss Bob Arum as they fight for promotional rights over Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.
This was revealed by Pacquiao?s chief handler Shelly Finkel, who told Manila-based mediamen Monday that the notice of the legal battle will arrive anytime within this week.
“There will be lawsuits coming,” said Finkel, who assumed the role of manager of Pacquiao early last year.
Finkel said he advised GBP not to include Pacquiao in the lawsuit because by doing so, Pacquiao will alienate himself with the fledgling company even further.
There are also unconfirmed reports saying that also included in the lawsuit are Pacquiao?s advisers Wakee Salud and Michael Koncz.
Pacquiao had signed a promotional tie-up with GBP last Sept. 19 upon his arrival in Los Angeles from the Philippines and that the agreement was spiked with a $ 350,000 signing bonus plus an advance of $ 150,000.
Another main man inside the Pacquiao camp said that Arum wanted to see Pacquiao on the night he arrived from Manila, but opted not to so “Manny could rest because he will surely be tired after the long-haul flight.”
Pacquiao has returned the money totaling $ 500,000, but GBP did not accept it and is poised to sue Bob Arum, who owns and operates Top Rank.
“If you were Golden Boy, would you (return it)?” said the source.
Arum announced over the weekend that Pacquiao?s MP Promotions and Top Rank have sealed a deal over the promotion of the fighter?s fights in the next four years, but Pacquiao when asked by an American newsman to comment on the matter, politely declined to issue anything.
Finkel lamented the fact that Pacquiao is having problems especially after what he did over the weekend.
“Manny should be on top of the world right now and he doesn?t need this (distractions),” said Finkel, who was instrumental in helping Pacquiao get rid of New Jersey-based promoter Murad Muhammad last year.
If he can only have his way, Finkel said he would like Pacquiao to take on Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch and should the fight materialize, Pacquiao would be earning more than the $ 3-million purse he earned in the rubber match with Morales.
Finkel, who has been managing fighters for the last 25 years, could not come up even with a baseball park figure, but stressed that “much more” than what Pacquiao earned over the weekend.
It was also Finkel who negotiated for Pacquiao to get a hefty $ 750,000 paycheck against Hector Velazquez even if he was coming off a loss to Morales in March last year.
In the first Morales fight, Pacquiao was paid $ 1.750 million and while he lost that bout, he managed to be given $ 2 million when he demolished El Terrible in the rematch early this year, again with Finkel at the helm of the talks.
Top Rank is keen in staging a Pacquiao fight at the Wynn Macau in March 2007 against a yet to be named opponent although there are reports that being considered is unbeaten Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero.
