Golden Boy Promotions spares Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao of any involvement in its court case against Top Rank Promotions.
“I didn’t turn promoter to sue fighters. I turned promoter to help the sport of boxing. I turned promoter to help the fighters,” Golden Boy owner Oscar dela Hoya told Philboxing.com.
Golden Boy has sued Top Rank, owned by Bob Arum, for “tortuous interference” after the latter signed Pacquiao to a four-year contract last November.
The Top Rank deal with Pacquiao came almost two months after Golden Boy had signed the Filipino sensation to a seven-fight contract.
However, Pacquiao finally announced last week that he is honoring the contract with Top Rank as he joined Arum in a press conference at the Manila Hotel.
Dela Hoya said the case is now “in the judge’s hands and we are going to take it from there. We feel very, very strongly that we are the promoters of Pacquiao.”
Meanwhile, Shelly Finkel, whose contract as Pacquiao’s manager expires at the end of this month, said Pacquiao may have erred in not pushing for the rematch against Marco Antonio Barrera.
“One misguided decision can change the course of a fighter’s career and his status in history. Not getting Barrera is potentially another one of these bad decisions,” said Finkel.
“And that is something I wanted to prevent from happening to Manny. But whatever he decides, I wish him well,” added Finkel, who said Pacquiao lost an easy $5-million pay for not facing Barrera.
But Arum has made the assurance that Pacquiao can earn as much facing someone else in Macau in April 28 as facing Barrera in Las Vegas on March 17.
