LAS VEGAS — Negotations are underway for Manny Pacquiao to fight former World Boxing Council (WBC) superbantamweight champion Oscar Larios of Mexico in Manila, possibly on May 21, and Erik Morales in a rubber match at the Sam Boyd football stadium here, tentatively on Sept. 16.
Pacquiao’s lawyer Nicholas Khan told The Star yesterday he’ll personally fly to Manila next week to begin talks with prospective promoters for the Manila fight.
Last Thursday night, Pacquiao met with his management team of Shelly Finkel, Khan and Keith Davidson in Los Angeles to discuss plans for the two bouts. Pacquiao flew in from Manila that night. Because his flight came in late, the meeting started at 11 p.m. and lasted until 2 a.m.
Finkel came from New York just for the meeting and left the next morning. Pacquiao drove out of Los Angeles Friday afternoon and arrived here at night.
“Shelly wanted to discuss details and find out from Manny how he wants to proceed,” said Khan. “We had a very good discussion. Manny wanted the fight in Manila at the Fort so it could be in an open-air venue, free to the public. But we were worried about things like the summer humidity, the big crowd, the security problem and other logistical considerations like toilets. So we’re now leaning towards getting a place like the Araneta Coliseum. It will be an HBO fight but not pay-per-view.”
Khan said he expects Pacquiao to earn between $3 to $4 Million for the May fight which Finkel said wouldn’t be a tune-up because Larios is a worthy opponent. Pacquiao will stake his WBC International superfeatherweight crown in a 12-rounder.
Khan said Larios has agreed to take on Pacquiao in Manila but if he backs out, former International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Javier Jauregui of Mexico–who recently beat Randy Suico on points–is on standby. A third fighter is in the queue, added Khan, on a just-in-case basis.
As for the Morales rubber match, Khan said he was informed that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has backed down on pushing for a weight limit of 132 pounds.
“Manny told us he’ll fight Morales again only at 130,” said Khan. “So we put it clearly to Arum that if they want a third fight, Morales must agree to 130 or else no fight. I was told Arum has retracted his condition for a 132-pound limit.”
Khan said the third bout might be postponed to November depending on how quickly Morales recovers from the injuries he sustained in the Pacquiao rematch.
“We’re ready to go for September but we’re waiting on Morales,” said Khan. “We hear his nose and cheekbone are still healing.”
Khan said he expects a windfall for Pacquiao in the next Morales encounter.
“Things are really looking up for Manny,” said Khan. “In the first Morales fight, he earned about $1.75 Million. Then he got $2 Million in guaranteed money plus 40 percent of the pay-per-view upside which is anywhere between $1.25 to 1.75 Million. In the third fight, I think his purse will be between $3 to 4 Million plus 50 percent of the pay-per-view upside.”
Khan explained that the promoter takes 10 percent off the top of the pay-per-view receipts and after the network deducts expenses, the difference or “upside” is split between the fighters. In the Pacquiao-Morales rematch, the split was 60-40 in favor of the Mexican. The estimate is there were at least 350,000 pay-per-view hits at $44.95 each. In the third fight, the split will be 50-50.
After the Viloria bout, Pacquiao returns to Los Angeles the next day and plans to take the Philippine Airlines flight back to Manila that night. He is tentatively scheduled to return home Tuesday morning.
