Manny Pacquiao said he?s not going to fight Briton Ricky Hatton if they will get equal share of the pay-per-view revenues that would be derived from their May 2 fight in Las Vegas.
“If it?s 50-50, forget about it (the fight),” said Pacquiao, sounding bitter that nobody?s paying attention to his standing as the flag-bearer of the sport.
“Oras na tanggapin ko ang offer na ?yan, masyado ko namang pabababain ang aking sarili. Nag-paubaya na ako when I fought Oscar De La Hoya last year kaya this time ako naman ang humihiling sa kanila,” Pacquiao told the Bulletin yesterday.
Pacquiao had been insisting for a 60-40 scheme.
“Pagtatawanan ako kapag nag-desisyon ako na tanggapin ang 50-50 lalo na?t pinaninindigan ko that I deserve 60-40,” said Pacquiao, who cemented his status as boxing?s biggest draw after scoring a stunning eighth-round stoppage of De La Hoya last December.
The world?s pound-for-pound king, however, is willing to compromise as long as the number moves.
“As long as it?s not 50-50, it?s okay with me,” said Pacquiao.
Told about the Wednesday (Thursday in the Philippines) deadline that Arum apparently imposed for Pacquiao to decide, Pacquiao sounded unfazed.
“What deadline? Sila lang ang nag-impose ng deadline. Kung ako naman kaya ang mag-impose ng aking ultimatum sa kanila? What do they think of me? I?m easy-to-get?” he asked.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum called up Cebu?s Wakee Salud and Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal to exlain the 50-50 scheme.
Salud, who once batted for a bigger slice of the pie for Pacquiao, was convinced by Arum to change his stand.
“I was enlightened and Mr. Arum explained it clearly why Manny has to accept the 50-50 sharing,” Salud said.
Gacal, on the other hand, told Arum that Pacquiao?s decision is firm.
“I guess, if there is reasonable movement in the sharing scheme, Manny will agree,” said Gacal.
Arum said Hatton?s huge popularity in England will translate into enormous pay-per-view buys that will be equally shared by the two fighters, unlike in the past when everything went to Hatton?s pocket.
Still, Pacquiao is firm in his conviction that he doesn?t deserve to be on equal footing money-wise with the brash Briton, whose notoriety stems from his being unbeaten at 140 lbs.
Hatton?s legal counsel, Gareth Williams, said there?s no way they are giving in to Pacquiao?s demand as they had earlier forged a deal with Arum about the even split.
Arum said he expects copy of the fight contract with Pacquiao?s signature anytime this week as a two-city tour of England has been penciled for late this month and a similar tour of three US cities follows in the last week of February.
