LOS ANGELES ? Manny Pacquiao may soon find himself in the company of superstars like Julia Roberts and George Clooney or David Beckham and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
According to Wakee Salud, one of Pacquiao?s advisers, a big-time talent agency based here in the US is seriously trying to lure the Pinoy icon in its star-studded stable.
?Feelers have been sent. And soon we may begin talks,? said Salud, who arrived here the other night in the company of Pacquiao?s youngest brother, Roel Pacquiao.
?This is a big-time agency. And we?re not talking of hundreds of thousands of dollars but millions,? said Salud, a boxing promoter and matchmaker based in Cebu.
He refused to give other details, including the name of the agency, but it should be alongside IMG (International Management Group), another star-studded firm that has Tiger Woods in its fold.
?This firm which wants Manny is so big here in the US, too. It also handles other famous celebrities, actors and singers and even mixed martial arts superstar Tito Ortiz,? Salud said.
Bob Arum, the Top Rank president and Pacquiao?s promoter, is also lining up some major endorsements for the Filipino boxer now considered a global superstar.
?But all these will have to wait for a while. We have to wait for the result of Saturday?s fight (Sunday in Manila) against Juan Manuel Marquez,? said Salud.
Pacquiao is now the biggest endorser in the Philippines with his contract with beverage and food giant San Miguel Corp. surpassing all previous deals, probably even that of the late Fernando Poe Jr. known as the king of Philippine movies.
Pacquiao also endorses car batteries, vitamins, motorcycles, coffee and Philippine Airlines, his official carrier, for the Philippine market.
Then there?s Nike, which recently made Pacquiao its biggest endorser in Southeast Asia. So far he?s the only athlete in the region that has signed a multi-million contract, that involves cash, with Nike.
