GLIB-TONGUED American promoter Murad Muhammad should be investigated by the Games and Amusements Board for committing acts that did little to enhance public interest in Philippine professional boxing such as his subtle double-cross of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao and the promotion of a one-sided fight in Taguig last year.
GAB chair Eric Buhain should punish Murad for conduct unbecoming of a GAB licensee. As a promoter Murad had misled the public. He had also failed to protect the interest of a Filipino fighter by not telling Pacquiao the truth about the pay-per-view contract of his recent fight against Mexico’s Erik Morales.
The wily American promoter reportedly earned close to $3 million from the PPV proceeds while the brave Filipino fighter earned nothing even though he risked his life fighting Morales, who won the classic contest by a 12-round unanimous decision.
My sources also told me that Pacquiao felt really bad about his own people who made money from the local PPV deal without his knowledge. But he had no comment when asked about the role played by his longtime business manager, Rod Nazario.
Going back to Murad.
Last December, Murad co-promoted (with Rod Nazario and M&M Sports) a virtual rip-off of a fight at The Fort in Taguig where the fans were enticed to watch a gross mismatch pitting the awesome and vastly experienced Pacquiao against an obscure boxer from Thailand named Fahsan 3K Battery. As expected, Pacquiao hardly worked up a sweat in stopping Fahsan in just four rounds, a quick ending that did not come as a surprise to some level-headed writers.
Wrote Tito Talao of Tempo: “Not only was his Thai opponent overmatched for Pacquiao in every department, the guy (Fahsan) was nowhere near the class of the Mexican warriors sent to the canvas by the Filipino fighter’s hammer fists. Four rounds to put away the poor fellow, if you ask me, is too long.”
Said my PDI colleague, Al S. Mendoza: “Against a patsy like Fahsan, Pacquiao could have still won by KO even with one hand tied to his waist.”
The way the one-sided fight ended only proved that I was right in branding the bout a gross mismatch. Recall too that I have alerted the people around Pacquiao about the pitfalls of dealing with Murad. However, they did not care to listen and fell for Murad hook, line and sinker. But now that Murad’s dark side has been exposed, there’s no need for me to say, “I told you so.”
The GAB should not treat Murad lightly. And all true-blooded Filipinos should rally behind Pacquiao and censure Murad because he has betrayed the trust reposed upon him as a promoter in this country. The GAB should not grant Murad another permit to promote here because he has brought embarrassment to Philippine pro boxing. It will not do us any good to continue with what’s patently a rip-off in sports and let it fester. The issue here is no longer legal, but moral.
As for me, I will live and act as a watchdog for pro boxing until the day I die.
