THE Golden Boy of Philippine boxing wants to put up his own outfit to promote fights here and abroad, on top of discovering promising fighters who can also make it big time in the world of pro boxing.
“Just like Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. I want something similar where I can promote fights locally and abroad. I can also bring our promising boxers overseas,” Manny Pacquiao told sportswriters late Thursday over dinner at a restaurant in Malate, Manila.
“Using my name, I think we can stage fights here so we can discover more boxing talents. Maganda itong binabalak ko [I think it’s a good plan],” added Pacquiao.
The dinner with sports scribes was just a few hours after PacMan met his former business manager Rod Nazario at his Wild Card Gym in Para?aque City to clear the air between them as a result of the boxer’s $33-million lawsuit against American promoter Murad Muhammad.
Pacquiao won a confidential out-of-court settlement—and his freedom from the shrewd American promoter—on July 26.
Although Nazario was not named in the suit, he was mentioned as having conspired with Muhammad in cheating Pacquiao of his ring earnings since he began fighting in the United States beginning 2000 during the hearing of the case.
The 25-year-old boxer, who was handled by Nazario since he was 17, earlier said that he was “enlightened” during his closed-door talk with Nazario that lasted nearly two hours.
“Closed book na sa akin ‘yon [That’s a closed book to me],” said Pacquiao, referring to his past differences with Nazario while folding a small piece paper into two on the dinner table.
He said he was hoping to use his new private company in the US—Manny, Inc.—as the vehicle for making his vision come true.
“Ako na ang presidente, ako pa ang secretary [I am the president and I am also the secretary],” said a smiling Pacquiao when it was asked if he already had a staff.
He disclosed that his sad experience with Muhammad had made him wary of those approaching him with prospective deals.
“Now I want everything to be in black and white. I even told Shelly Finkel [who heads his new management team], that if there is any deal for me, it has to be written, and I can understand it,” he said.
Pacquiao also implied that he had not totally cut his ties with Nazario, who has said he would no longer be involved in any activities of the boxers as long as his new management team is around.
“Ako pa rin ang masusunod [I have the last say],” Pacquiao said should his new handlers bar him from dealing with Nazario.
Finkel and company reportedly treated shabbily Nazario and Pacquiao’s other old handlers, like Lito Mondejar and Moy Lainez, in his last fight against Erik Morales on March 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
