A whole new world has opened for Manny Pacquiao.
Now that Top Rank and Golden Boy have buried the hatchet, Pacquiao can look forward to many big fights in the next two to three years, and probably end up in the short, distinguished list of Filipino billionaires.
Pacquiao will face Marco Antonio Barrera on Oct. 6 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It will be a rematch of their 2003 showdown in San Antonio where the Filipino underdog scored a knockout that catapulted him to stardom.
Pacquiao, according to an insider, will probably get a purse of $5 million to $6 million (a staggering P276 million) for the rematch. Then he stands to earn a little more in TV shares and merchandise sales. Barrera can get $3.5 million.
What?s quite interesting is that Pacquiao, the most exciting fighter in the world today, can lose this fight and still earn as much or even more for a third and deciding match with the 33-year-old Barrera.
Pacquiao faced the great Erik Morales three times, starting off with a purse of less than $1 million in March of 2005. For their third fight in November last year, the 28-year-old Pacquiao won the trilogy (2-to-1) and took a $3 million purse.
On the side, Pacquiao faced lighter opponents like Hector Velasquez, Oscar Larios and most recently Jorge Solis, but in each fight managed to earn more than what some world champions do.
As long as he stays as exciting as ever, Pacquiao?s fight purse will only grow bigger. Should he beat Barrera and send the Mexican to retirement, it?ll be the bigger fights looking for him, and not the other way around.
There?s reigning World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico who?s also aching for a multi-million-dollar rematch with Pacquiao following their controversial draw in 2004.
Again, there?s a possibility of a Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy.
Also lining up for a lucrative fight with the Filipino superstar are Edwin Valero, the reigning WBA champion who has knocked out all his 21 opponents. Already, there?s animosity between him and Pacquiao who has belittled the Venezuelan?s foes.
Then there?s Joan Guzman, the WBO champion from the Dominican Republic. He is known in the boxing world as ?Little Tyson? and is considered a dangerous foe for Pacquiao because of his ?fast feet and faster hands.?
Of course, there?s Humberto Soto, the biggest loser of the recent Top Rank-Golden Boy settlement. The Mexican, a Top Rank boxer, was all set to face Pacquiao in October in Vancouver. Now he has to wait in the sidelines.
Barrera, Marquez, Valero and Guzman are all tied or at least have ties with Golden Boy, owned by Oscar dela Hoya. If not for retired judge Daniel Weinstein who forged the settlement, it would have been quite impossible for Pacquiao to face these boxers.
Along with these fights, endorsement contracts here and abroad plus numerous business opportunities will come along, again translating into millions and millions more in earnings for the former construction worker.
?Yes, if everything falls into place, Manny Pacquiao can become a billionaire. There?s just too much money to be made out there,? said Wakee Salud, one of Pacquiao?s trusted companions.
Although he did not answer calls yesterday, Pacquiao should be very happy, extremely happy with all these prospects. Now he can forget about the millions he lost during the elections.
