The top official of Solar Entertainment described Manny Pacquiao as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, the Tiger Woods of golf and the Roger Federer of tennis.
And for this, Peter Chanliong, Solar Entertainment chief operating officer, said the Filipino boxing icon is worth every penny the sports media giant is putting up to telecast Pacquioa’s fight with Mexican Jorge Solis.
“So, whatever the amount, Pacquiao is worth every penny,” added Chanliong amid concerns the $800,000 (P38.4 million) they reportedly paid Pacquiao for the right to air his coming fight was simply too much.
Pacquiao is scheduled to face undefeated Mexican at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on April 14. The fight will be aired over GMA-7 on April 15.
Pacquiao is in Los Angeles for three full weeks of training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. He flew in Saturday evening and held his first day of workout Monday (yesterday in Manila).
Dubbed as the “Blaze of Glory,” the April 14 card also features Brian Viloria, Jorge Arce and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in an exciting undercard top-billed by the 12-rounder between Pacquiao and Solis.
Officials from Solar Sports and GMA-7, led by its executive vice president Gilberto Duavit Jr., presided over the card’s formal launch yesterday at the cozy 27th floor lounge of the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
And while questions on how much the total package really costs were not answered, Solar Sports’ desire to bring the fight to the millions of Filipinos, no matter how it would cost, was proven.
“Again, Manny Pacquiao is worth every penny,” added Chanliong who, however, neither confirmed nor denied that the Filipino boxing icon did receive the said amount for the TV rights.
“It is not our policy to reveal figures,” he said.
“The real figures will come out in time. The amount that was earlier mentioned was pure conjecture, pure guess work,” added Solar Sports president Wilson Tieng.
Tieng said outside of the TV commercials, Solar Sports will count on the closed-circuit viewing as they would air the fight live, commercial-free, in hundreds of cinemas nationwide.
Asked if he’d be happy even if the fight takes a very short route, Tieng had a straight-forward answer.
“Why not? Manny Pacquiao is our champion. And we want him to win. Regardless of how many rounds it would take,” he said.
