International promoter Murad Muhammad, who gave Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao the breaks that earned him a shot at the International Boxing Federation junior featherweight title held by Lelohonolo Ledwaba, is scheduled to arrive today with the Filipino champion?s business manager Rod Nazario from Los Angeles aboard a Philippine Airlines flight.
Murad told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in an overseas telephone conversation that he had decided to come to Manila so he and Nazario could sit down with Pacquiao to discuss the planned Dec. 4 fight against World Boxing Organization Intercontinental champion Gairy St. Clair.
They also plan to talk about the scheduled rematch against World Boxing Association/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez and a possible blockbuster showdown with World Boxing Council junior lightweight champion Erik Morales, should he prevail in his third encounter with Barrera on Nov. 27.
Pacquiao himself told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in a long distance call from his hometown of General Santos City that he planned to come to Manila on Monday to meet with Nazario, but did not know that Murad would also be here.
Murad indicated that he would like to finalize details of the Dec. 4 tune-up fight for Pacquiao, who said he was ?working out but not sparring,? raising some concern about a reported pain in his left wrist. However, the flamboyant Filipino said he was ready to fight St. Clair.
Murad and Nazario will have to work out the financial details of the Manila fight, which is expected to be held at the Araneta Coliseum after a Solar Sports executive revealed that in conversations with the group that is putting up the funds for the fight, he learned that they had set a ceiling of $650,000 or around P40 million for the purses of both fighters and all other expenses.
