?Picking up the pieces?
After Manny Pacquiao suffered a demoralizing defeat at the hands of Mexican legend Erik ?El Terrible? Morales on March of 2005, Pacquiao?s career was put on a tailspin. Not only did he not come out as the winner of his two most recent fights against two of the sport?s best little men, controversy regarding his promotional team surfaced and threatened to derail Pacquiao?s career further.
Pacquiao claimed that his then promoter Murad Muhammad owed him a percentage of pay-per-view revenues and had been shortchanging the Filipino slugger since he rose to fame. Pacquiao filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Muhammad seeking his share. Also, issues regarding the contract Muhammad signed for Pacquiao when he faces Morales, went under intensive scrutiny from the media and fight fans. Muhammad signed a contract that stipulated both fighters to use Winning gloves, which are favored by Morales.
Pacquiao had been wearing and prefers to wear Cleto Reyes gloves, which have less padding and favors a puncher. Pacquiao nor his trainer Freddie Roach were aware of the matter when Muhammad signed the contract. Pacquiao and Muhammad would eventually settle off-court, releasing Pacquiao of any contractual obligations with Muhammad and prompting him to pay Pacquiao what he is due. In a report published in back in June of 2005 by Filipino writer Salven Lagumbay,
Aside from preventing Muhammad from getting away with the TV pay-per-view proceeds from Pacquiao?s losing fight with Eric Morales recently, the American?s so-called airtight promotional grip on Pacquiao which started in 2001 has been voided.
M&M Sports, which Muhammad heads, also agreed to dismiss the suit it filed against Pacquiao?s new management team which included Keith Davidson, Shelly Finkel, Nicholas Khan and trainer Freddie Roach. Muhammad, however, saw the result under a different light.
?The case was settled amicably. I decided (there?s) no need to fight. Manny will go his way, we (Rod Nazario and Murad) will go ours. We will go on with our lives. We will find another Pacquiao or even better. I will continue to build another Pacquiao, continue to help Filipino boxers and all Asian boxers if they want my help. I wish Manny all the luck. I feel he should go on to be as successful as he can and represent the Philippines with honor. May God be with him,? he said.
It should also be noted that after his misdealings with Pacquiao, Muhammad was accused of the similar wrongdoings by former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield when Muhammad promoted Holyfield.
After the saga with Muhammad, Pacquiao jumped back into the ring in against Hector Velasquez in September of 2005 for the vacant WBC superfeatherwieght crown. The card was promoted by Top Rank and called “Double Trouble” and was held at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Pacquiao was the co-main event for that card and Erik Morales faced Zahir Raheem in the main event in what was geared to create more interest for a Pacquiao-Morales rematch. Pacquiao took care of business and pummeled the game but overmatched Velasquez to submission in the 6th round and won via TKO. Morales on the other hand lost to Raheem via unanimous decision. Many noted all the wars Morales have been in were finally catching up to him. Some people said Morales did not take Reheem seriously and did not train properly for the fight hence the lackluster performance.
How would the Morales loss affect his rematch with Pacquiao?
It would just be the beginning of probably the toughest fights Pacquiao has had in boxing- his outside the ring battles. Check back tomorrow for part seven of this article as I chronicle the next few years of Manny Pacquiao’s career, as he aims to redeem himself against “El Terribele” and how he struggled to overcome adversity from personal to managerial conflicts that almost destroyed his career. As Pacquiao’s star grew, so were the criticisms and controversies that usually comes with fame.
