TRAINER Freddie Roach said he has no idea what Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is doing in General Santos City, where he met with Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao. In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Standard Today, Roach pointed out that Pacquiao had signed a seven-fight agreement with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions in mid-September and that contract is binding.
At the same time, Roach accused Los Angeles-based agent Michael Koncz, who was serving as the eyes and ears of Arum, of “ruining Manny’s career.”
Koncz was unknown until he wormed his way into the good graces of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer and stuck like a leech to Pacquiao and his brother Bobby. He also managed flyweight challenger Diosdado Gabi, who left Koncz because he was maltreated. Koncz has also been suspected of skimming off the purse of fighters, whose bouts he helped arrange in the United States, while boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, who helped him in the past, branded Koncz a traitor.
Meantime, the head of Pacquiao’s management team Shelly Finkel, said he had sent the uncle of Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee, fiscal Gabriel Jamora, a copy of the lawsuits filed by Golden Boy against Top Rank for tortuous interference and Top Rank’s claim for declaratory judgment before a Las Vegas court, asking the court to decide which contract was binding.
Finkel said Pacquiao promised Jamora he wouldn’t sign anything else during their conversations.
Finkel and Roach attended Pacquiao’s birthday celebration, his daughter’s christening and the blessing of his P35-million home in GenSan recently.
Standard Today learned that Arum did not file the Top Rank bout contract for the Nov. 18 rubber match with Erik “El Terrible” Morales, which contained a clause prohibiting Pacquiao from signing with another promoter until after Nov. 18.
Keith Kizer, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said the bout contract filed by Arum did not contain the specific clause referred to by Arum in his efforts to scuttle the Golden Boy Promotions contract.
Legal minds contend that the issue will come down to the difference between a bout agreement and a promotional agreement which are very different even as there are those who claim that Arum is attempting to pass off the bout agreement as a promotional agreement. They also pointed out that Gary Shaw signed a promotional agreement with Pacquiao for his re-match with Morales last January and Arum didn’t object.
Pacquiao insiders said Arum is trying to entice Pacquiao with a lucrative deal and plans for his future fights, although it is evident that the fight most people want to see is a megabuck re-match against Barrera and which can only happen if he goes with Golden Boy, which handles the legendary Mexican.
It was also learned that Arum is planning to meet with top executives of ABS-CBN tomorrow to try and work something out with the giant network prior to leaving for the US Friday night.
ABS-CBN signed a deal with Pacquiao giving the network the first option on the television coverage of his fights after shelling out $4 million to stage the Pacquiao-Oscar Larios bout at the Araneta Coliseum. ABS-CBN also telecast the Grand Finale between Pacquiao and Morales last November, effectively shunting Solar Sports to the sidelines to carry the fight in theaters and on cable.
Meantime, Pacquiao is beginning to draw criticism for his actions. Writer Jim Cawkwell in an article in boxingscene.com wrote: “How is it that Pacquiao can do away with world-class fighters and legends without a hitch yet he hasn’t perfected the art of saying no to every deal put under his nose? Soon it’ll be that if you brush against him in a hotel lobby, you’re in his entourage; take him out to dinner and he’ll fight for your company. The current legal issues between rival promotions is a product of their greed and Pacquiao’s naivete.”
