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Philippines, 17 May 2024 |
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SULAIMAN SAYS HE?S SURE PACQUIAO DOESN?T KNOW WHAT?S HAPPENING ABOUT SANCTION FEES By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Fri, 07 Nov 2008  World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman says he?s sure Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao doesn?t know what is happening regarding sanction fees due the world organization for a past fight and the upcoming December 6 bout with Oscar De La Hoya. In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Chengdu, China where he is presiding over the 46th Annual WBC Convention, Sulaiman said ?I am sure Manny does not know about it because he is a fair boy and he is a proud WBC champion. If they are fooling him and doing this to the WBC, its flabbergasting.? Sulaiman said ?you cannot imagine how sad and humiliated all the delegates felt? over what was going on. Sulaiman said ?I don?t believe that Manny has been well represented in the WBC and we feel very disappointed and very frustrated because Manny is the best pound-for-pound and the biggest pride of the WBC.? He said Pacquiao?s handlers decided to pay to the WBC last time, $30,000 which he branded as ?ridiculous but we accepted. The fight took place and they never paid. I am not sure what fight that was (David Diaz or Juan Manuel Marquez.) This time let?s suppose he is making $10 million at least. Michael Koncz sent a letter that he was reviewing the $30,000 that he owed and that he had to talk with the promoter and that the most they are willing to play for his fight wit De La Hoya is $20,000.? Sulaiman said he proposed it to the WBC General Assembly with all 164 representatives including most of the promoters of the world. He said ?it was the unanimous belief that this is an embarrassing offense and humiliation to the WBC. There was much discussion and there was an agreement to give Mr. Koncz 15 days to pay the $30,000. If they don?t the WBC will withdraw the permission from Manny Pacquiao.? In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Koncz said that he needed to go through the records to find out for sure what deductions were made from Pacquiao?s purse and if they owed the WBC they will definitely pay the amount right away. Koncz said he discussed the issue this morning with Pacquiao. Koncz made it clear that while ?we respect the WBC and Manny is very proud to be the WBC champion we now have to look at it from Manny?s point of view? and that as an adviser ?we have to see what is in the best interests of Manny.? At the same time Koncz conceded that they realize that under WBC rules they are entitled to a percentage of Manny?s purse for the De La Hoya fight. Koncz clarified that the amount due was not for the David Diaz fight for which Top Rank promoter Bob Arum deducted $90,000 and the WBC was paid in full. He said the money due was possibly for the rematch against WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and he was in the process of ?checking the records on the Marquez fight. There could be a mistake that?s why I?m looking at all the deductions. Again we assume its done by the accountants of the fight promoter but on the other hand everybody makes mistakes and if there is a mistake that would be brought to Manny?s attention, verified and he?ll authorize payment.? Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez who was at the WBC Convention emphasized that Pacquiao was not getting anywhere near the $15 to $20 million that was being peddled as his earnings from the De La Hoya fight. Gomez told the WBC gathering that it was ?not even half that amount.? Team Pacquiao is not shirking from its responsibility to pay the WBC but wants to negotiate the right and fair amount based on the actual purse. Sulaiman also emphasized that ?if he pays the WBC will not accept $20,000 . It would be $100,000 which is much, much less than the WBC rules and regulations .? He said that ?if they are not willing to pay the WBC will seriously consider stripping Pacquiao of the WBC lightweight title.? Sulaiman said that in addition to De La Hoya ?they asked for one more voluntary defense against (Ricky) Hatton or (Floyd) Mayweather Jr? adding that ?under those circumstances I do not understand why he wants to keep the lightweight championship of the world.? Explaining the rule regarding the non-title fight against De La Hoya, Don Jose said the rules require that ?any WBC champion fighting a title or non-title fight against any other fighter that is not within the WBC and is not within his weight and he is using the credibility and the world respect and the trademark that we own and the championship accolade, they must pay half of the sanction fees they pay when they fight for the WBC title? which makes it 1.5 percent. The WBC president said that ?one of the things that concerns us the most are the thoughts of President Arroyo because she left an indelible mark of gratitude and respect on all the WBC people. I am tremendously worried about what the people of the Philippines will think because we love that country. It?s a WBC member since 1963 and I am very concerned about their thoughts and I hope that they understand.? He pointed out that ?the WBC has 164 national officers. We have a pension plan to help ex-boxers. We help many boxers in hospitals. We have to manage the WBC to keep it for years and we need sanction fees. None of the people of the WBC including myself gets one single dollar from boxing. We do it without any compensation whatsoever. To the contrary it costs some money, personally. That is very important for me that the public knows.? In an overseas telephone conversation Pacquiao?s lawyer Franklin ?Jeng? Gacal said he had spoken to Pacquiao relaying the information we had provided him and said Pacquiao was under the impression that the WBC sanction fees had already been paid for the past fight? and that if any money was due to the WBC it would be paid. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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