Anyway you look at the dilemma involving world featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, one don?t see peaceful times anytime soon. Pacquiao, a 39-3, (31 KO?s) Filipino fighter is at the center of a power struggle between his Philippine advisor Rod Nazario, promoter Murad Muhammad, and American advisor Shelly Finkel and Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach who claim Murad is a thief! But even before this recent infighting began, there was always the suspicion that Nazario and Muhammad acted in concert to defraud Pacquiao.
CALIFORNIA CASE SHAPES UP LIKE THIS
Having been made privy to some of the already filed papers in the case of Attorney Sydney Hall vs. Murad Muhammad & Rod Nazario, clearly it looks as if Hall will try and prove that Murad the promoter, and Nazario the manager, that the pair violated the Muhammad Ali Boxing Act by working as a tandem in defrauding Pacquiao. It was this duo that also forced out Hall, the man who had first brought Manny to the United States.
SUIT AGAINST MURAD & ROD IN ?BIG APPLE? DIFFERENT!
And while a Superior Court Judge in California added both Pacquiao, and a former advisor Martin Elorde to the Hall lawsuit yesterday as plaintiffs, it appears this case will take precedence over the matter Manny filed through New York barrister Judd Burstein against Muhammad and Nazario. It was just a coincidence that both of these legal matters resonated on the same day, and on different coasts.
HOW MUCH OF MANNY & HIS MONEY WILL BE LEFT?
The March 19 Pay Per View between Pacquiao and Erik Morales grossed $15 million. With the Cable TV folks, getting half, that leaves event promoter Bob Arum and Muhammad with $7.5 million. Split that 60-40 and Murad got $3 million. If you go 50-50, that?s $3,750,000 for Muhammad (and Nazario?). I can see Murad claiming that Nazario approved the contract with the girly gloves, the same one that did not have the customary ?upside? PPV clause. So, responsibility falls back to Nazario. Or does it?
DOING THE MATH IN EITHER ENGLISH OR TAGALOG!
Regarding the taxes Nazario claims to have paid for Pacquiao, the $180,000 figure he has came up with for 2003, the year Manny had fought both Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera. If it were true, it seems a bit short considering Manny grossed roughly $1.2 million. And how come Mr. Nazario, I ask why wasn?t he able to come up with actual receipts or sny correspondence from the Internal Revenue Service itself?
