MANNY PACQUIAO got his wish two days ahead of Christmas.
The Filipino boxing champion on Thursday signed his amended contract with promoter Murad Muham?mad, guaranteeing him $2.65 million (about P148.4 million) in two big fights?probably against Mexicans Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales?next year.
By approving the addendum to his original four-fight contract with the American promoter signed last March 1, Pacquiao buried his misgivings of Muhammad over the fine print of the deal, which apparently didn?t guarantee the boxer?s rich payout if he was to fight boxers other than Marquez and Morales.
In a telephone interview, Muham?mad said he agreed to a proposal from a respected lawyer and well-known boxing authority removing the phrase ?or a credible opponent??which Pacquiao had objected to?from the contract and replacing it with ?an opponent acceptable to HBO [Home Box Office, the US cable giant].?
The Ring Magazine featherweight champion, in Davao City for the holidays, approved the change and signed the addendum, faxing it back yesterday to his business manager Rod Nazario?s Wild Card gym in Para?aque City.
The modified contract promises $900,000 (about P50.4 million) for ?PacMan? in a February 26 rematch with Marquez for the Mexican?s World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation titles, then a $1.75 million (P98 million) windfall for a proposed megafight with Morales sometime in July.
Pacquiao, who missed a scheduled flight to Davao on Wednesday because he played billiards until late morning, promised he would begin training in an effort to get into top shape, since Marquez has been training at an altitude of 10,000 feet for the past month.
He earlier told a news conference at his birthday reception, hosted by Mayor Pedro Acharon in his hometown of General Santos City, that people were trying to scare him by telling him about Marquez training for so long.
?But I am not afraid. With the people of General Santos and all my countrymen behind me, every punch I throw will have their power behind it,? he said.
The quibbling over the addendum prepared by Muhammad was Pac?quiao?s apparent confusion caused by several people whispering into his ears, which he himself admitted.
Muhammad and top HBO Sports executive Kery Davis explained that the reason for the words ?or a credible opponent? in case either Marquez or Morales were unable to fight for any reason was to ensure that the fight date would not be lost and Pacquiao?s purse would not be reduced.
HBO was not prepared to keep the February and July dates available and the purse intact if the Mexicans didn?t fight Pacquiao and the opponent was a fighter that was not a ?credible opponent? because HBO was putting up big money, Davis added.
With the misunderstanding out of the way, Pacquiao is expected to heed the advice of trainer Freddie Roach and leave for the United States shortly after the holiday season to begin training for the much-awaited rematch with Marquez, who held the Filipino to a draw despite being knocked down thrice.
Pacquiao?s wife Jinkee, whose birthday is on January 12, said she could celebrate without her husband, and disclosed that she wanted Pacquiao to leave for Los Angeles on December 28 because ?this is an important fight for him and for all of us, and Marquez is already training.?
