When we sat in on a closed door conversation between Manny Pacquiao and his business manager Rod Nazario at the Wild Card Gym in BF Homes before Pacquiao returned to General Santos after being ousted from the Philippine National Open 9-Ball Championships by Gandy Valle, we had a chance to talk to Pacquiao about some of the realities of the boxing business which, hopefully, enlightened him.
To begin with he should evaluate the purse for his next fight against the caliber of his opponent and the venue where the fight is being staged plus the potential from television and gate receipts.
By any standards, especially for a fighter who doesn?t hold a sanctioning organization belt but only the prestigious Ring Magazine championship belt, a $300,000 or approximately P17 million minimum guarantee is a whole lot of money.
Besides, should the promotion gross anything beyond P35 million, Pacquiao would be entitled to the first P10 million. If this happens it would bring his purse up to around $500,000. If the income exceeds P45 million, Pacquiao would be entitled to an additional one-third of the excess.
It?s a good deal no matter how you look at it. Even WBA/IBF featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez didn?t earn that kind of money for some of his title fights, including his latest title defense against Oscar Salido where he reportedly received some $150,000.
When OPBF super featherweight champion Randy Suico fought WBC No. 1 ranked Mzonke Fana in a title eliminator with the winner promised a crack at Erik Morales, he earned no more than $15,000. When former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa fights for the WBF title he is expected to earn around P300,000 which is just over $5,000. Taken against these realities, Pacquiao has a very good deal and that?s why he agreed to it.
For those who are prone to castigate promoter Murad Muhammad and Nazario, they should realize that there is absolutely no reason to complain especially in the light of revelations that Pacquiao has already picked up advances amounting to some P6 million and wants the money to be deducted from his rematch with Marquez and not from the Dec. 11 battle with Fahsang 3K Battery. Let?s face it, Nazario and promoter Murad Muhammad have been fair in their dealings with Pacquiao. They have in fact, been generous. Who will, in these trying times, advance a fighter P6 million with all the attendant risks? And believe you me, there are many.
Only those who have no clue about the fight business or deliberately ignore the realities to suit their convenience, engage in shrill negative rhetoric. They are among those who whisper into Pacquiao?s ears trying to turn him against Murad and Nazario hoping to get a piece of the action.
As we told Pacquiao, he needs to understand that he couldn?t get an HBO fight date this year because the sports network has a roster of fighters who are more popular and saleable among American audiences and he was hurting after the Marquez fight. In fact, no. 1 pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather got only one HBO fight this year so Pacquiao can?t complain. Besides, there won?t be an HBO coverage for the Manila fight and Fahsang 3K Battery who may have beaten over 20 Filipino fighters isn?t a Marco Antonio Barrera or a Juan Manuel Marquez. He is the kind of fighter Pacquiao needs in a tune-up fight. You don?t need a dangerous fighter who could beat him. You need an opponent who will, hopefully in the end, give him a good workout and keep him in shape for the big rematch with Marquez.
Why do you think Marquez fought Salido. Simple. Because it would have been downright stupid to get a fighter who could beat him. Marquez wanted a workout in his tune-up fight, especially after the grueling encounter with Pacquiao and Murad and Nazario are wisely doing the same thing for Pacquiao.
It?s worth remembering that Pacquiao hurt his leg in sparring even before the Marquez fight and it showed in the ring. When he returned from a month?s training under Freddie Roach at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Pacquiao complained of pain in his wrist and that?s why he?s doing light training, not sparring right now. It would have been foolhardy to get a tough opponent. As for Gairy St. Clair, his style would make for a frustrating fight for Pacquiao and turn off the fans because he hits and runs and doesn?t stand and slug it out which is the kind of fighter Pacquiao needs.
All things considered, Fahsang 3K Battery looks like the right kind of opponent for a tune-up fight and the purse of Pacquiao the best deal he could hope for in a country that?s in a financial crisis. In fact, Pacquiao should be grateful to the gentlemen who made this possible and that includes Murad Muhammad and Rod Nazario, no matter what the habitual carping critics have to say.
