The battle among the splintered camp of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao is now starting to firm up.
In a long distance interview with Fightnews.com, Pacquiao himself revealed he will have well-known American lawyer Judd Burstein in a case that will pursue the boxer’s supposed Pay-Per-View (PPV) earnings in his most recent fight.
The 26-year-old Pacquiao is now hotly pursuing American promoter Murad Muhammad after the latter allegedly pocketed the boxer’s PPV share amounting to nearly $3-million.
Pacquiao is coming off a close 12-round decision loss to Mexican great Erik Morales on March 20 in Las Vegas were about 350,000 households subscribed on its PPV telecast for nearly $45 per subscription.
Pacquiao is claiming that he was gypped of about 40% of the upside revenue of the said PPV. His contract for the bout gave him a guaranteed $1.75 million.
Pacquiao said that pertinent documents are now being prepared and that the case is scheduled to be filed in New York in the coming weeks.
The new handlers of Pacquiao reportedly were able to convince Burstein to work on the case on a $100,000 acceptance fee.
Burstein will also work on a contingency basis, meaning the lawyer is entitled to a certain percentage should they be successful in their legal battle.
Burstein has been a nemesis of several big time promoters involved in financial disputes with their superstar boxers.
Most notable among Burstein’s adversary include the loquacious Don King and Panos Eliades, the former promoter of ex-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
Burstein successfully represented former world champions Terry Norris that led to King settling with the boxer for $7.5 million in restitution for defrauded earnings.
On February 2002, Burstein made Lewis $7.4 million richer when a federal court judgment ruled in favor of the boxer in a racketeering and fraud charges against Eliades.
Pacquiao’s million-dollar boxing career is now being handled by American manager Shelly Finkel and aided by lawyers Nicholas Khan and Keith Davidson.
Pacquiao signed up with Finkel after the former’s 5-year managerial deal with Filipino manager Marty Elorde expired last January.
Pacquiao is also at loggerheads with long-time business manager Rod Nazario who has given the boxer a choice between working with him or with the Finkel-led group.
Nazario is responsible in linking Pacquiao to an air-tight promotional deal with Muhammad several years ago.
