Certainly it wasn’t their intention to spit in the face of egomaniacal Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather is an honored multi time World Boxing Council champion and his loyalty to Don Jose Sulaiman and the historic green and gold belt could have only been enhanced and underlined when Money May rejected paying the sanction fee to put Shane Mosley’s WBA version title on the line in their May 1 bout.
I say Mayweather spurned the WBA because he’s cheap and/or because his Mayweather minions were too lazy or disinterested in negotiating a fee of less than standard three percent with the organization.
But favoring his belt over a rival group’s certainly gives the American more mileage in Sulaimanland.
So it’s more than bit ironic to learn, through the Manila Standard Today , that Congressmanny Pacquiao, Mayweather’s bete noire, has politely but firmly refused an invite to a WBC Night Of Champions soiree to be held in Cardiff, Wales, in late July.
“Dr. No” in the Pacman camp, Michael Koncz, did “the dirty work” in turning down the express invite from former world champ John H. Stracey.
Pacquiao correctly cited his new duties in the Philippine Congress as the reason for kiboshing the trip to Joe Calzaghe’s stomping grounds.
?Everybody here at the WBC Night of Champions and the boxing public of Wales salute your electoral success, and send our heartfelt good wishes for your new journey, helping the Filipinos people build a better homeland,? Stracey wrote Pacquiao.
In this political corner, the Fighting Congressmanny from Sarangani Province, the Man with the Mandate, Manny Pacquiao (Paul Bernaldez Photo)
Stracey added: ?We appreciate that your life will now be very hectic and preoccupied with the duties of your new office, so we want to make clear that we stand ready to offer you any and every support should you decide there is value to you in using the world stage afforded by the Night of Champions event as a platform for showing your people that you are a man who has a presence on the world political stage. In addition to any boxing event, we can help you use the visit to Wales to meet and be seen meeting senior political and business figures.?
?As you will appreciate, if you think such a visit would be worthwhile, we will need to start planning as quickly as possible, so an early response would be very helpful. Once again, many, many congratulations,? continued Stacey, who added that if Pacquiao could make the trip, that would be ?huge as the people around the world are praising this young man because he is the most exciting thing in boxing today.?
According to Wolf Blitzer, who doesn’t know Sarangani from Sarajevo, CNN boasts of “the best political team on television.” Well, Pacquiao has “the best political team” in Mindanao, I say. (Michael Marley Photo at Pacman’s so called “Pentagon” in Gensan)
Kind, sincere words no doubt but Pacman can’t turn his back on the electorate which just gave him a landslide victory and a huge mandate for change in poverty stricken Sarangani, a province used as a feudal fiefdom of the Chiongbian/Alcantra/Dominguez clans for so long.
?It is an honor to be invited to such an event. However, on behalf of Manny Pacquiao, we must respectfully decline as his recent victory and appointment as congressman and hectic routine resulting thereof will not permit us to attend your event. Perhaps, we can be a part of this great event in the future,? Koncz said.
Among the former world champions who have confirmed their attendance are heavyweights Lennox Lewis, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks and reigning champion David Haye, as well as World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan.
What big name is missing from the confirmation list?
Mayweather’s of course.
Isn’t he supposed to be so wildly popular in the United Kingdom?
Even WBA beltholder Khan is going, a reminder to the Mayweather camp that Manny mentor Coach Freddie Roach is also working ring magic with Kid Khan.
I’d guess there is no way in steaming Hades that Mayweather will show up in Wales now even if he was invited.
That would just underline his status as merely a boxer, albeit a rich and undefeated one, and emphasize how Public Servant Pacquiao is giving back.
Other champions might accept this but I can’t see Mayweather going for sloppy seconds, can you?
This kind of stuff, recognition from high boxing authorites for Pacquiao’s outside the ring achievements, must drive Mayweather completely nuts.
Of course, keep in a mind, it’s a short drive anyway.
