Manny Pacquiao asking for more, and Ricky Hatton not willing to get less is all part of the negotiation process for their blockbuster fight being scheduled May 2 in Las Vegas.
?It?s a merry-go-round,? said Pacquiao?s business manager Eric Pineda amid reports that the big showdown between the two brawlers from different corners of the world is in jeopardy.
Negotiations for a big fight such as this, one that is expected to draw more than a million pay-per-view hits, take time before they are sealed, as both parties fight for what they want.
?But in the end they should come to terms, and I see that happening here. Ricky Hatton knows that he can?t get anything as big if he fights someone else,? said Pineda.
Pacquiao, the king of boxing, wants a 60-40 share of everything while Hatton, a champion in the 140lb division and a pay-per-view draw in England, wants it at 50-50.
Pacquiao?s lawyer said if Hatton insists on 50-50 then the Filipino camp will start looking for a new opponent.
But it?s easier said than done. Pacquiao versus Hatton is the fight the people want to see right now, and nothing but a Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. can come close to it.
Mayweather, however, is still deep in retirement, and insiders believe he won?t be ready to fight until September or November. So Top Rank, for Pacquiao, and Golden Boy, for Hatton, should work things out.
Negotiations for the Pacquiao-Oscar dela Hoya fight held last December also faced major bumps along the way and almost bogged down, but in the end they managed a deal that was acceptable to everyone.
Both Pacquiao and Hatton will earn millions for this fight, something like $10 to $15 million or even more if they come to terms. While Pacquiao may get the bigger purse, they can agree on an even split on the PPV shares.
Hatton?s lawyer, Gareth Williams, told The Daily Telegraph, ?We already have a verbal agreement from Pacquiao?s promoter Bob Arum that it would be 50/50 split for the contest. We have said all along that that is all we are prepared to do, and Arum has agreed to the equal share.?
