IS the $33-million suit filed by Manny Pacquiao against Murad Muhammad nothing more than a ploy of the Filipino boxer to break out of the existing contract with the American promoter?
A source privy to the legal wrangle said the suit against Murad is a ruse by Pacquiao and his new management team, led by Shelly Finkel, for the fighter to wriggle out of the next two fights that the promoter has left in his contract with Manny.
?They want to use the lawsuit as a leverage in an attempt at an out-of-court settlement. Should Murad decide to negotiate and let go of Manny?s next two fights, then the suit can be withdrawn,? said the source, who declined to be identified.
Upon instructions of Pacquiao?s current handlers, noted lawyer Jeff Burstein filed the suit against Murad last week, invoking the Muham?mad Ali Boxing Reform law and alleging that the American promoter failed to make ?disclosures? in his deals involving the boxer.
This includes the pay-per-view income that Pacquiao insists he should have gotten for his March 19 fight against Erik Morales, although this was not specified in the suit.
In a long-distance phone interview with Pacquiao, who is in Cebu to join a cock derby organized by boxing promoter-manager Wakee Salud, said he was not aware of an out-of-court settlement being negotiated by his lawyers.
?All I know is my lawyers have told me not to comment on anything involving the lawsuit,? said the boxer, adding that he had not been in touch with Finkel or his lawyers since the suit was filed.
But the same source said that Murad, who felt he was ?betrayed? by the boxer whom he launched to ring stardom, that the promoter was unwilling to settle out of court ?and fight the suit to the end.?
?[Pacquiao?s handlers] won?t be able to get rid of Murad that easily,? he said.
On the lighter side, Pacquiao was proud to announce that his two prized roosters?PacMan 1 and PacMan 2?had won their two matches Thursday and had advanced to the finals of the derby.
?Sana manalo [I hope they win],? said Pacquiao, who also disclosed that his reported P15-million endorsement package with the Lucio Tan group of companies was not a done deal yet.
?Nagkita kami ni Mr. Lucio [Tan] noong Tuesday pero wala pa ring pirmahan. Pag-uusapan pa [I met with Mr. Lucio Tuesday, but there was no contract signing. We?re still negotiating],? he added.
Pacquiao reportedly will get to endorse three products?at P5 million each?produced by Tan?s group, including Absolute mineral water and Virgin Cola.
