MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao should have a say in choosing the network that will carry his next fight through pay-per-view.
?He?s the co-promoter so he needs to be part of the decision,? said Franklin Gacal, Pacquiao?s legal counsel.
Bob Arum of Top Rank said the other day the decision would come next week whether it?s HBO/Warner or Showtime/CBS.
Arum said there?s a lot of money involved, and from the $10 million that Showtime coughed up for the Shane Mosley fight last May, this one could go as high as $15 million.
Arum said it?s unbelievable how huge HBO and Showtime are willing to put in for the pay-per-view rights for Pacquiao?s next fight.
The Mosley fight did around 1.4 million PPV hits, and Arum sees a bigger number, even higher than 1.5 million hits, for Pacquiao?s third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12.
?While we respect Bob Arum?s decision, everything must be transparent to Manny because he gets a percentage of everything that goes into the pot,? said Gacal.
Pacquiao was guaranteed $20 million for the Mosley fight, and earned probably over $10 million more through the pay-per-view sales.
?That?s why right from the start, Manny should be involved in it. He should know so by the end of the day, when the accounting is done, everything is there to see,? he added.
?Manny has to have a say in choosing the network.?
Arum told www.boxingscene.com the other day that it remains a tossup between Showtime and HBO, and it?s a heavyweight showdown.
?It?s unbelievable. They?re offering for the promotion an unbelievable amount of support. Like I?ve never seen before,? said Arum.
?We?re in the process now of making a decision within the next week. HBO blew us over last night with its proposal. I never believed that they would come out with anything like this,? he added.
Pacquiao is just wrapping up his family vacation in Boracay, and millions of dollars are being tossed around five months before the fight.
