For a good long while there was a fierce rumor in boxing circles about Manny Pacquiao refusing to allow then-rising star Nonito Donaire on any of his undercards. According to the buzz, ?The Filipino Flash? as an emerging superstar was finding himself persona non grata on Pacquiao shows for some unknown reason.
What lends credence to the rumors is the fact that a young Donaire on a Manny Pacquiao undercard would?ve made perfect sense. It was such a logically good business move that the failure to make the perfect pairing seemed born out of spite or jealousy or some odd business maneuverings initiated by Team Pacquiao. For Donaire, a full seal of approval from the king of Filipino boxing would?ve made his star shine brighter and his purses even bigger.
Back in 2014 Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz all but confirmed that Donaire was not welcomed on Manny?s cards, claiming that a Donaire-Pacquiao pairing made no business sense.
?How is he (Donaire) going to sell one more ticket that Manny can?t sell?? Koncz told Yahoo Philippines. ?I?m not saying that he doesn?t have fans?But Manny will sell the entire Philippine audience…no matter who you put on the card, they are not going to put in anything substantial as to the Philippine audience. Manny will do all that…why will we spend $1 million in profits on a fight that’s not going to generate any actual additional income and if it does, it will be very little. It makes no business sense.?
But in 2016 things are definitely very different.
With both fighters on the decline after ugly losses and poorly-performing cards, the two are in a position where they need one another. Donaire has been relegated to low-level pay-per-view cards and Pacquiao, while still a reasonable draw in most circles, is having major issues trying to sell his upcoming November 5 bout against relatively unknown and lightly regarded Jessie Vargas. So, it was announced by promoter Bob Arum that Donaire and his bout with Jessie Magdaleno would serve as chief support to Pacquiao?s main event fight.
Manny could still have vetoed Donaire, of course, and for the same reasons his team was rumored to have vetoed him before. But after a high profile loss to archrival Floyd Mayweather and a humbling rejection by the masses for his upcoming bout, he has no choice but to swallow his pride. These days being Manny Pacquiao is not enough to make the needle move?not even with his own Filipino fan base.
