It has been a week since Manny Pacquiao lost the 12-round boxing match against Erik Morales of Mexico but on Saturday, the Filipino boxer dubbed “The People’s Champion” said he is still hounded by the amount of money his former promoter failed to give him.
Pacquiao arrived in Manila morning of Black Saturday from Los Angeles, where he and his family spent a three-day respite and indulged in a shopping spree.
The boxing sensation bagged $1.75 million from his loss to Morales last March 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. All three ringside judges scored the fight 115-113 in favor of the Mexican.
Morales, based on reports, likewise took $1.75 million plus the World Boxing Council super featherweight crown.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, lost more than a chance for the WBC belt.
Before the fight, Pacquiao stood to earn the $1.75 million purse and earnings from the pay-per-view pot.
After the fight, it became a different story.
Fight promoter Murad Mohammad reportedly did not deliver to Pacquiao the promised earnings from the pay-per-view.
A rematch has already been hatched for Pacquiao and Morales. The rematch was temporarily set in July though some quarters said it may be in September.
At any rate, Pacquiao has decided to part ways with Mohammad. He is even planning to sue the fight promoter for failing to follow contract stipulations.
He said that a boxing promoter should not earn bigger than the boxer himself.
Pacquiao did not disclose how much Mohammad earned from the fight.
Reports from the boxing news website Fightnews.com (www.fightnews.com) said HBO Pay-Per-View had 350,000 buys for the Pacquiao-Morales tiff.
“We are thrilled with the 350,000 buys generated for the Morales vs. Pacquiao pay-per-view event. It shows, once again, that when the best fight the best there are no losers, and the fans will always support those matchups,” the network said in a statement.
The broadcast pay-per-view was such a success, said the network, that it will rebroadcast it on HBO on Saturday night Eastern/Pacific time.
Despite the loss, Filipinos and other fans flocked and greeted their hero. He arrived with wife Jinky, assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez and Lito Mondejar.
He is scheduled to spend a short vacation in General Santos City in Mindanao before returning to Manila to continue his training.
But before the training, Pacquiao said he would like to be with his family first. He said he would like to take his two daughters to Hong Kong for a vacation.
