FOR all his world-class skills as a prizefighter, Manny Pacquiao has another talent.
He can make people fight.
Rod Nazario and Murad Mohammad had fought for Manny?s attention. Mohammad won.
Kicking out Mohammad later over tax tussles in a New York suit, Pacquiao would next pit Bob Arum against Oscar de la Hoya.
How?
Pacquiao signed a promotions contract with de la Hoya, netting him a signing fee of $500,000.
Next, Pacquiao inked a new contract with Arum, de la Hoya?s business foe.
Arum and de la Hoya went after each other?s neck in court.
Result: They now share part of Manny?s winnings whenever Pacquiao fights de la Hoya?s boxers.
Just very recently, Pacquiao fanned the network war between ABS-CBN and GMA-7?dragging Solar Sports into the mess.
It was spawned by Pacquiao?s jump to ABS-CBN, dumping Solar Sports and GMA-7.
The move resurrected a long-running feud between ABS-CBN and GMA-7, with Solar Sports sadly emerging as a potential collateral damage.
Then in a yet another stunning stunt, Pacquiao backpedaled. He unloaded a killer punch by saying he was going back to Solar Sports and GMA-7.
End of war? Uh-oh. Not quite.
On his way home, Pacquiao slipped. He said he left ABS-CBN because the network had reneged on a pact to embargo the news of his transfer.
?Below the belt,? cried ABS-CBN. ?No such pact.?
Other than that, no more blows from ABS-CBN came Pacquiao?s way.
Who would dare touch Pacquiao with a 10-foot pole, him being the country?s only certified treasure at the moment?
Try suing him. You might find yourself pitifully pitted against an entire nation.
We seem that hungry for a hero we easily look the other way when that hero goes astray.
