Manny Pacquiao is showing to the public that he is no fool nor anyone?s puppet. Just a little over sixty days since he staged the greatest upset in boxing in a generation, HBO and other ?experts? are attempting to apply pressure to get Manny and Nazario to the negotiation table. Rather than wait a week or two for Manny to complete his shooting of a film and Manager Nazario to heel a bit after surgery, HBO would rather issue veiled warnings and ultimatums.
All, I have to say is ?Go Manny?.
Twenty years from now when you no longer are producing in the ring just about everyone you deal with in boxing today won?t give a plugged nickel for you, your family, or your future. The only ones that will are the people who were there in the beginning. So if you can solidify a second career and capitalize out of the ring, you go for it. You are in the drivers seat at the moment, know matter what HBO says or does.
Manny Pacquiao is the man today and all the warnings and two faced pressure by HBO can?t change it. Frankly, HBO should take a long walk off a short pier before putting the boots to Pac-Man.
Let?s look at HBO?s so called obligations to other fighters, like Lewis, who God knows feels no obligation to the fans that have made him a wealthy man. Lewis hasn?t fought in over 8 months and still can?t make up his mind as to whether he is a retired fighter. Where is the pressure on Lewis by anyone other than the fed-up fan and some die hard writers.
The rest of HBO?s supposed lineup of fighters beating down the doors to fight, De La Hoya, Mosely, Gatti, Forrest, and Vargas. If these fighters are all ready to fight then why haven?t they signed on the dotted line before now.
I can tell you why, because Pacquiao is the flavor of the month and the rest these guys won?t put their ass on the line for the chump change you are offering Pacquiao. When was the last time anyone heard of Lewis, Mayweather, or DLH entering the ring for a Championship fight for 1 million. Then throw in the popularity of Manny and the level of competition HBO expects him to face. A PPV event will net mega millions for HBO and they offer what a fraction of that.
Try offering Lewis 1 million to face Vitali or DLH-Mosely III for a million a piece. Frankly, finishing the movie is the smartest move for Manny in the long run. Considering how it is only January and May is the fight date on HBO they are talking, HBO and Murad Muhammad can look like perfect gentlemen by waiting patiently for Manny to fulfill his OBLIGATIONS to his family?s future and have a bit of compassion for Nazario. But then again this is boxing.
Rather than kissing HBO?s butt perhaps Manny should wait out these hypocrites now that they want to play the ?Big Frankie? routine and demand a Barrera rematch for this summer. All the fans know that is where the money is anyway, the only reason Ayala and the little known Marquez is being pushed at Pacquiao is to build momentum to that end anyway. It is not the suits at HBO that get into the ring, it?s Pacquiao, and if HBO feels that Pac-Man?s popularity will be diminished by a two week wait they don?t know this business of boxing or fight fans the least little bit. Fans know that Manny Pacquaio beat the real Champion in the division and all the rest are sanctioning body Champs. Why risk the real title fighting Ayala or Marquez when the boxing fan really wants you to step back in the ring and show that the Barrera bout wasn?t a fluke.
Someday hopefully fighters and promoters will wake up and realize with a little work of real promoting They could have their cake and HBO to.
Pacquiao- Barrera II could sell out the Rose Bowl with tickets sales alone generating millions of dollars, Then putting the TV rights out to bid could generate millions more. Instead promoters are getting lazier and lazier until now two TV entities damn near own the sport.
Time to wake up and smell the coffee folks if we keep kissing up to Showtime and HBO instead of being smart, fighters will have to take what?s offered and not what they are worth, getting smaller and smaller shares. When you look at purses today and factor in cost of living etc. fighters are making less money now then at anytime in the last 100 years.
