TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum claimed that Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao will continue to fight for his outfit, raising serious questions over his signing of a seven-fight contract with Oscar de la Hoya.
As early as last week, Viva Sports/Standard Today learned from a reliable source, who had spoken to Arum that the Top Rank promoter would not sue Pacquiao for having violated a specific condition of his contract for the rubber match with Erik “El Terrible” Morales on Nov. 18, which prevented him from signing up with any other promoter until after the Grand Finale.
The information was relayed to former Team Pacquiao member Moy Lainez as well as respected Cebu boxing patron Tony Aldeguer, who had a promotional contract for his fighters with Golden Boy Promotions.
The source said Arum told him that he would continue to promote Pacquiao and that instead of suing Pacquiao, it would most likely be Golden Boy since they had already given Pacquiao a $300,000 signing bonus.
In an interview with boxing writer Greg Leon, Arum said that even though Pacquiao signed with Golden Boy, he was not prepared to call off the big money showdown with Morales, saying that would be “crazy,” adding that he would not “stick it to Manny because I love Manny.”
In a hint of what has happened, Arum said: “At the end of the day, I am convinced win or lose, Manny Pacquiao’s next fight and fights after that will be under the banner of Top Rank. That’s all I can say. I can’t say how, why, what and so forth. That’s all I can say.”
When confronted as early as last week about the information that Pacquiao had done a deal with Arum after signing with Golden Boy, Pacquiao’s close friend and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud was non-committal. Salud had returned after an extended stay in Los Angeles to resolve the problems with Arum over the Golden Boy contract and prevent him from filing a case against Pacquiao. He said then that his “mission was completed.”
