LOS ANGELES ? Manny Pacquiao is the pay-per-view king of the lighter weight divisions.
According to HBO, which telecast Pacquiao?s March 15 rematch with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, there were 400,000 buys that amounted to a little over $ 20 million (about P800 million).
“Still, the figures are higher than Pacquiao?s fights with (Erik) Morales (twice) and (Marco Antonio) Barrera,” said Top Rank chief Bob Arum from New York, where he presided over a press conference for Kelly Pavlik?s next fight.
Pavlik shares the spotlight with Pacquiao over at the Top Rank banner.
Arum noted that Pacquiao?s fights against Morales and Barrera did not reach the 400,000 plateau although it was still a smashing success with 350,000 to 380,000 buys in each fights.
Based on the contract Pacquiao signed with Top Rank for the Marquez rematch, he is entitled to a share in the profit generated by the successful joint promotion between Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotions.
Apart from the guaranteed paycheck of $ 5 million, Pacquiao also has a cut in the closed circuit earnings ? a first time for a Pacquiao fight ? and ticket sales.
The 400,000 PPV buys is the biggest number south of the welterweight class, making the Filipino firebrand the legitimate king among the small men of boxing.
De La Hoya, training in Puerto Rico for a May 3 battle with Steve Forbes at The Home Depot in the neighboring city of Carson, also credits the “charisma and popularity” of Marquez as reasons why the fight turned out to be a huge hit not only among Filipino and Mexican fight fans but those who closely follow boxing as well.
The next challenge for Pacquiao is the planned June 28 showdown with the little-known but capable David Diaz, who reigns as World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion.
Arum said it would still be on HBO pay-per-view with the 12,000-seat Events Center at Mandalay Bay, where a near-sellout crowd gathered for the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch almost two weeks ago, as the place to be among diehard followers of the sport.
Diaz, according to Bernie Bahrmasel, the fighter?s publicist, is keenly awaiting official word from Arum.
“It?s going to be all systems go here once we hear about the confirmation (of the Pacquiao fight on June 28),” said Bahrmasel from Chicago, where the southpaw slugger resides.
Diaz may have won the Pacquiao sweepstakes after his lopsided 10-round decision over Mexican Ramon Montano underneath the Pacquiao-Marquez headliner.
