Top Rank?s Bob Arum has warned international promoter Murad Muhammad about trouble-makers, who had tried to convince him that Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao?s contract with him had ended and that they could help Arum acquire the promotional rights to the Filipino southpaw.
Arum revealed that lawyer Michael Koncz, who spent several weeks in the Philippines and stayed with Pacquiao in Davao City during his training and also in General Santos before returning to the US after Pacquiao?s birthday celebration, had visited him and told Arum that he ?could deliver Pacquiao for fights against Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales? since, according to Koncz, ?Pacquiao is leaving Muhammad.?
Arum claimed trainer Freddie Roach had also approached him with a similar proposition and in the process charged that Koncz was ?not a friend and was in it for himself.?
However, both Koncz and Roach failed to respond to Arum?s demand ?to prove to me that Muhammad has no contract.?
The 73-year-old Arum informed Muhammad with whom he partnered in the first battle between Pacquiao and World Boxing Association/International Boxing Federation champion Juan Manuel Marquez about the maneuverings which constituted ?tortuous interference.?
Muhammad is now studying legal action especially against Koncz, who attempted to ingratiate himself through Pacquiao?s younger brother Bobby Pacquiao, the Philippine super featherweight champion and Orient Pacific Boxing Federation no. 1 contender even as he sought to influence Z ?The Dream? Gorres, who trained with the Pacquiao brothers at Roach?s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles where Koncz often hung around.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard, Muhammad said yesterday that when Arum learned about the two-fight addendum to the ?Mother Contract? signed by Pacquiao with his business manager Rod Nazario and Muhammad, he told him (Muhammad) ?this is conclusive.?
At the same time, Muhammad felt relieved that Pacquiao had signed the addendum and said he hoped the trouble-makers and whisperers stay away and allow the Filipino champ, whom Muhammad described as ?a tremendous young fighter? the chance to ?stay focused on his fight against Marquez which is crucial to his career.?
Muhammad said HBO was ?very happy? that Pacquiao had signed the deal for the Feb. 26 rematch with Marquez and the late July date with Morales for which his total purse for both fights would be $2.65 million or around P150 million.
Fernandez, a boyhood friend who grew up in Pacquiao?s GenSan neighborhood, revealed that Koncz had ?tried to ingratiate himself with Bobby and me so he could get to Manny through us. He was very nice at the beginning but we soon discovered his real bad intentions and told Pacquiao to watch out, which is what Manny did.? Fernandez added: ?This guy (Koncz) is no good.?
