OPENING ROUND. WBO President Paco Valcarcel has been invited by Golden Boy Promotions and promoter Sammy Gello-ani as special guest for the WBO superflyweight bout between Z Gorres and defending champ Fernando Montiel…Make no mistake about it, in this part of the boxing world, Z Gorres is actually a favorite to dethrone Montiel when they trade leathers next month…Ring Magazine will be sending a correspondent to next month’s event, in the person of our good friend Scott Mallon.
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A planned fight with South Korean In jin Chi on April 28 remains unsigned by Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, although promoter Bob Arum maintains it will be signed next week when Pacquiao visits the United States.
Arum had told the media yesterday that until now, Pacquiao has yet to sign the dotted lines for a 12-round showdown with Chi in defense of his WBC International superfeatherweight title at the Wynn Macau in China.
Earlier, Arum said Pacquiao could not sign the fight contract as he was busy playing pool, although a source close to Team Pacquiao believed otherwise.
According to the source, who requested anonymity, Pacquiao’s refusal to sign the contract may have something to do with his managerial contract with Shelly Finkel, which will lapse on January 31 yet.
The source explained that although Arum claims Finkel’s contract with Pacquiao had already lapsed last August, the Filipino lefty did not want to take it easy and probably once again fall into a lawsuit for possible monetary claims for signing a fight contract under a live managerial pact.
The source cited the on-going fiduciary claims by Pacquiao’s former manager Marty Elorde, for whom the US courts gave favorable decision stipulating that Pacquiao owed Elorde and his associate Sydney Hall some amount of money for signing a fight with Erik Morales when he was still under contract with Elorde.
Although the fight took place after the expiration of the manager-boxer contract, Pacquiao had inked the deal prior to the expiration, and the courts ruled that Elorde and Hall had valid monetary claims.
Another source, meanwhile, suggested that Pacquiao may also be unimpressed with the amount offered to him by Arum as purse for the Chi fight, indicating that the offer may have fallen way too low compared to the promised $5 Million booty.
Pacquiao is set to attend the January 27 bout between his close Mexican pal Jorge ‘Travieso’ Arce and Julio David Ler in Anaheim, California
