NOW COMES the charge that Mexico’s Oscar Larios, labeled as recycled old meat, is grossly overpriced.
But before everything else, a word from our sponsor. Here’s Peter Musngi of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.: “For the record, nothing’s final or official yet as far as ticket pricing for the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios fight is concerned. We’re still in the process of research. The choice of Araneta Coliseum itself as fight venue is not yet final. Our main concern here is the general public, the great horde of Pacquiao fans to whom Manny is dedicating the event.”
Musngi says he himself got bothered after word came out that ringside tickets for the fight would fetch as much as $1,000 each, with a choked space in the general admission section, the so-called nose-bleed area, to cost a cool P1,000.
“We’re still studying everything, and rest assured that profit is the least of our concern here,” continues Musngi, his firm’s trusted impresario. “We are here to bring the best, serve the public.”
For sure, there would be no repeat of the tragic stampede at Philsports Arena in Pasig City that had resulted in the trampling and death of over 70 people, a tragedy that led ABS-CBN to be charged with negligence.
Of course, it goes without saying there would be no riotous hordes if tickets are NOT pegged within the reach of the poor general public.
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Upon learning of the agitation, Manny Pacquiao informed broadcaster Ronnie Nathanielsz that he would bat for the slashing of the bleacher tickets by half the announced price.
Still that would be a cool P500 — way, way beyond the weekly table budget of poor Juan de la Cruz.
Anyway, it’s hard to detract from the fact that our dear brothers from the slums, where Pacquiao draws his biggest number of admirers and devotees, would beg and borrow just to be able to see their idol do battle live.
No need to wonder anymore why Pacquiao’s impact on the poorest of the poor hereabouts has turned narcotic.
Now, what about Larios, did they have to pay him $450,000 just to square off with the Pacman?
“It’s a stick-up, he’s not even a world champion and champions get a lot less than that,” protested sportsman Rudy Salud through Nathanielsz.
Nathanielsz said Salud, founding secretary general of the World Boxing Council, turned livid because, with the announced Larios price tag, poor Pinoy boxing fans would end up being bled dry by promoters.
Told to slow down after confinement due to heart trouble, Salud said he could not sit back and relax while his poor countrymen are being pushed against the ground.
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Well, the clearer call here is for event organizers to check on whose dirty pocket the bigger bulk of the Larios purse would end up.
There’s strong reason to suspect criminal undercutting, as had happened when Pacquiao was victimized by Murad Muhammad, his former promoter.
Will ABS-CBN, which bankrolls the event (reportedly to the tune of P200 million) allow Murad’s talkative ghost to resurface in Manila?
Will the super TV network allow itself and the Filipino fight fans to be shortchanged?
Musngi (Jun Sarreal is waiting for your call, sir) called up yesterday to assure everybody they are doing their best to peg ticket prices within reach of the masa.
The apt question is: Would they be willing to have a redo of the Battle of Manila Bay of 1996, when Luisito Espinosa’s defense of his world featherweight crown was opened to the public?
That could be an option, Musngi explains, although an open-air show would be risky, because of the rains that usually come in July.
Next asks Eric Pineda, top man at Manny Pacquiao Promotions: “By open, do you mean the fight would be offered free to the public?”
Yes!
That was exactly the idea of the First Gentleman, he bares.
Araneta may not be a very healthy option.
Why?
The last two Filipino world boxing champions (Dodie Boy Pe?alosa and Luisito Espinosa) who defended their titles there left the Big Dome without their crowns.
Is that so? Thank you, I’ll tell Manny your sentiments, Pineda promises.
