It could be the fight of the decade and Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez said the much-awaited rematch between Manny Pacquiao and World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera has the potential of breaching the 500,000 mark in US pay-per-view subscriptions or at least $25 Million in sales.
Gomez, who was in Cebu last week with Golden Boy international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz for a five-day visit, said HBO has reserved Nov. 4 as the date of the return bout with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as the venue.
“Everybody wants it to happen because they’re the two best superfeatherweights in the world,” said Gomez who is Golden Boy owner Oscar de la Hoya’s best friend. “Manny’s manager Shelly Finkel was recently in our office (in Los Angeles) and we’ve started talking. My comment is let’s get it done.”
Gomez said Barrera is itching for revenge. Pacquiao stopped Barrera in the 11th round of their showdown for the Ring Magazine or people’s world featherweight crown in San Antonio in 2003.
“Barrera has something to prove,” said Gomez. “He has rebounded nicely since losing to Manny. The rematch is capable of doing more than 500,000 pay-per-view hits, thanks in big part to Manny. I thought when Manny fought (Erik) Morales last January, 60 to 70 percent of the crowd was Filipino. Promoters are now realizing that Filipinos can fill up venues in the US.”
Since losing to Pacquiao, Barrera has won four in a row over Paulie Ayala, Morales, Mzonke Fana and Robbie Peden in that order. He is scheduled to stake his WBC title against Rocky Juarez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on May 20.
Although Top Rank has scheduled the rubber match between Pacquiao and Morales on Sept. 16, Gomez said it’s not likely to materialize.
“I know of Manny’s commitment to fight Erik again,” said Gomez. “But I don’t think Morales wants to fight at 130 pounds because he can’t make it. And Manny won’t fight unless it’s at 130. Besides, I’m told Morales wants a tune-up fight before meeting Manny in a third match. The rubber match will eventually take place because Morales is a proud fighter and hates to lose. You saw that when he lost twice to Barrera. Remember, he got knocked out by Manny so that’s something he wants revenge for.”
Gomez said Pacquiao is taking a big risk in facing former WBC superbantamweight titlist Oscar Larios in a tune-up at the Araneta Coliseum in June.
“It’s definitely a tough fight for Manny because Larios isn’t coming all the way to Manila to lose,” said Gomez. “I’m not sure if it was smart for Manny to agree to fight Larios.”
Gomez said De la Hoya plans to watch the Pacquiao-Larios fight at ringside.
It was speculated that HBO demanded a worthy opponent for Pacquiao to seal a pay-per-view deal and wouldn’t proceed in negotiating a contract unless a fighter of Larios’ caliber or Larios himself was signed up. ABS-CBN, which acquired the world-wide TV rights for the Pacquiao-Larios bout, is reportedly in talks with HBO for a pay-per-view tie-up in the US.
A source said Larios was guaranteed a purse of $450,000 to fight Pacquiao in Manila.
Gomez and Lewkowicz were in Cebu to sign a contract with businessman Tony Aldeguer for Golden Boy to promote Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista and Z Gorres in the US. The contract stipulated two to three bouts for both prospects in the US after which they will fight for the world title. The world championship matches will be subject to a renegotiation between Golden Boy and Aldeguer.
“The hottest talent pool in the boxing world right now is in the Philippines,” said De la Hoya in a press statement. “So to bring exciting young fighters like Bautista and Gorres to the US to train and fight is an important step in the development of our company because we want to continue to bring the best fighters in the world to fight fans and this is just another avenue of doing so.”
De la Hoya established Golden Boy in 2002. Forbes Magazine writer Evan Hessel said his father Joel Sr. and cousin Adrian Pasten recruit and manage fighters and sister Cecilia oversees ticketing. Richard Schaefer is Golden Boy’s chief executive officer.
“Recognizing that 41 percent of all televised boxing is on Spanish-language networks, (De la Hoya) favors Hispanic non-heavyweights like himself,” wrote Hessel. “If a fighter piques his interest, he personally approves the contract then passes the young gun to Eric Gomez, his best friend from elementary school and head matchmaker. ‘We guide their careers, decide whom they are going to fight, what they’re going to get paid,’ De la Hoya says.”
Barrera and Larios are both managed by Golden Boy.
