LAS VEGAS ? Manny Pacquiao will fight in Macau in March or April 2007 under the Top Rank banner unless Oscar Dela Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) brings Pacquiao and Bob Arum to court for alleged contractual violations.
Arum had announced over the weekend that Top Rank and Pacquiao?s MP Promotions have signed an agreement that would make the two outfits partners in the Filipino?s fights in the next four years.
“The deal that Manny signed with Top Rank is much better than that which he signed with Golden Boy,” said a key Pacquiao adviser. “That (GBP contract) doesn?t even come close to 50 percent of what Manny will get with Top Rank.”
Negotiations are already underway for Pacquiao to see action against a still unnamed foe with Top Rank leading the way in cooperation with hotel mogul Steve Wynn, who owns Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau, which just opened last September.
Arum was at the grand opening of Wynn Macau as guest of Wynn.
But legal problems might arise in the coming weeks following Pacquiao?s decision to hook up with Arum since ringsiders believe that he has a binding contract with Dela Hoya.
A few hours after Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles last Sept. 19, he met with Dela Hoya and there he signed a seven-fight contract and received a signing bonus of $ 350,000.
Pacquiao?s decision to sign cannot be considered legal according to the Pacquiao insider since the fighter just came out of a 13-hour flight from Manila and had no time to go over the contract.
Arum said the bonus and an advance of $ 150,000 have been returned to GBP as Pacquiao is determined to honor his commitment with Top Rank which stipulated in the contract that he signed for the Erik Morales fight that he cannot deal with any promoter until after the bout. Pacquiao, 27, has declined to comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, the choice of opponent will be named soon and that trainer Freddie Roach will have a big role in the selection.
The name of Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero has been mentioned but it does not look like he is on top of the priority list. Valero holds an unblemished 20-0 record with all wins by knockout.
It was earlier reported that following Pacquiao?s victory over Morales, the nex guy Pacquiao will face is Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch.
Barrera is promoted by GBP and Top Rank has vowed that it will never work with Dela Hoya, making the matchup an impossibility at this point.
