UNDER the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, chances are great that Manny Pacquiao would still get his share from the pay-per-view earnings of his recent fight with Erik Morales.
And such a law is needed in the country to protect the welfare of local fighters, according to Hermie Rivera, a former sportscaster who discovered and later managed former two-time world boxing champion Luisito Espinosa.
“Pacquiao has a good chance to recover his share in the pay-per-view fight with Erik Morales,” said Rivera during yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Manila Pavilion. “But Manny is already a millionaire. What we should pity are the other Filipino boxers who have not been rightfully paid for their fights.”
He cited the cases of the now US-based Espinosa and reigning Orient Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) titlist Rodel Mayol.
Between the two, Espinosa has suffered the most.
The 37-year old former Tondo boy has yet to collect his purse amounting to $130,000 for his successful defense of his World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title against Carlos Rios of Argentina in Koronadal City, Cotabato province, eight years ago.
The case is now in court with the ageing Espinosa, currently based in Los Angeles where he continues to box for a living, being represented only by his lawyer Dennis Manzanal.
“We need the immediate enactment of a law like the Ali Reform Act that would protect our boxers,” said Rivera in the sports program sponsored by Red Bull, Supermax, Circure and Pagcor.
Citing a provision in section 10 of the Ali Act, Rivera said the Pacquiao does have a good case in his court battle against US promoter Murad Muhammad, who pocketed about $2 million of Pacquiao’s PPV share in the Morales bout.
In essence, the Ali Act stresses that a promoter is not entitled to receive any compensation for a boxing match until he discloses to the boxer 1) the amount he’ll receive, 2) all fees, charges and expenses that will be assessed by him pertaining to the match, including any portion of the boxer’s purse that the promoter will receive, and training expenses, and 3) any reduction in a boxer’s purse contrary to a previous agreement between promoter and boxer.
Pacquiao became the first Filipino fighter to be featured in the main event of a pay-per-view bout opposite the 28-year-old Morales in their blockbuster 12-round match at the MGM Grand Garden Hotel in Las Vegas two weeks ago.
He did end up with a purse amounting to $1.75 million, but didn’t get a single centavo from the pay-per-view shares as what had been stipulated in the contract he signed with Muhammad.
