International promoter Murad Muhammad yesterday denied that he had stolen some $2.7 million due Manny Pacquiao from the pay-per-view income and said the Filipino ring warrior was not entitled to any money from PPV earnings.
Muhammad claimed that the new management team headed by Shelly Finkel and trainer Freddie Roach were misleading Pacquiao because they had failed to deliver on the $4 million they promised him when they asked him to sign a two-year deal.
?They have no document to prove that Pacquiao was entitled to a share of the PPV. Who are they going to sue? They first will have to sue HBO, then promoter Bob Arum and Top Rank before they get to Murad. On what basis, what contract? They are clutching at straws,? said Muhammad.
The American promoter said HBO had ?committed to pay $2.7 million to the promoters if the pay-per-view numbers were below 150,000 buys but since it did 350,000, HBO deducted the $2.7 million from the PPV income.?
Muhammad said he and Arum were hoping to have around 200,000 buys but were elated at the figures, which were better than the Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera encounter which did 325,000 buys.
Muhammad said Pacquiao signed to fight Morales for a purse of $1.75 million, which he received.
