28.12.06 – By Michael Marley, BoxingConfidential.com: As the Pacman saga continues, I want to see if I can clarify some aspects of the fascinating fight among the promoters, managers, the trainer and various agents…so here goes.
Q. Some criticize Pacman himself for the mess he is in now. Do you concur?
A. I think only someone else with a fifth-grade education should put the knock on Manny. Manny has a lawyer named Jeng Gacal who was present when he signed both the Golden Boy and Top Rank contracts. What could Attorney Gacal been thinking about? Was he threatened or bullied? You have to wonder.
Q. Shouldn’t Pacman go with Golden Boy because they have Barrera, JM Marquez and Guzman?
A. Not necessarily because Golden Boy, like all promoters, has an obligation to each and every boxer to seek out the most lucrative fights. That is obviously also in the promoter’s self-interest. At the end of the day, it is HBO that will have the most say about who Pacman fights and who Marco, Juan Manuel and Joan fight. HBO writes the big checks so they get to call the tune. It’s also dependent on who has a title, mandatories, purse bids etcetera but do you think MAB, JMM or Guzman are not going to want to fight Pacman because he is with a different promoter? Get real. Usually, whatever HBO wants, HBO gets. Don’t forget that Golden Boy is HBO’s MVP, most favored promoter, a status you can be sure it wants to keep.
Q. Let’s say these disputes among the parties keep moving through various courts or even one court. Will Manny be prevented from fighting?
A. No American court has ever barred a boxer from the ring. Worst that could happen while these matters are pending is that a judge could order some monies to be set aside pending the resolution but that is unlikely to happen. No party is likely to get an injunction which could keep Manny out of the ring. Courts are cognizant of a boxer’s short career span among other things.
Q. At the end of the day, who is the winner?
A. Manny Pacquiao because the frenetic battle Bob Arum and Oscar de la Hoya is just going to keep putting more money in his Pacman pocket. I see Manny fighting only twice in 2007 as the warring parties settle their difference pretrial. Think about it would you like to be seen as the person who made a national idol get on the witness stand in a battle for bucks? The only way fight fans lose is if Manny retires and that won’t happen.
Q. As a journalist, do you enjoy this?
A. Days of Manny’s Life. As The Pacman Turns. Edge of Pacman. Call it what you will but how can you not love such a soap opera or telenovela?