WORLD Boxing Council founding secretary-general Rudy Salud on Friday pulled out of the organizing group working for a Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch, citing recent allegations by trainer Freddie Roach of financial fraud committed by some members of Team Pacquiao.
Salud, a lawyer-sportsman involved in discovering hidden Filipino boxing talents, was earlier approached by the group of American multi-millionaire Louis Pearlman, Roach and lawyer Nicholas Khan to head the group that will organize the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch, proposed to be held in the Philippines sometime late April.
“In view of suspicions surrounding the recent fights of Manny Pacquiao, we have deemed it prudent to disengage from ongoing negotiations to stage Pacquiao’s next fight in Manila, which was anchored on our desire to help our country overcome its negative international image and also to give Pacquiao’s countrymen a chance to see their hero in action,” said Salud in an interview.
