Photo File from THEPHILBIZNEWS
Eight-division world champion and boxing Senator Manny Pacquiao sets to file a case against Top Rank, others.
In his Instagram post, Pacquiao said that he will file legal complaints against Top Rank and other parties concerned because he has not received the US rights payment for his July 15 WBA welterweight championship fight against Lucas Matthysse.
Under the contract agreed by Top Rank and Pacquiao, the fighter-promoter will receive an 85 percent share of the broadcast revenues, while the 15 percent will go to Arum’s promotional outfit, according to Pacquiao’s camp.
The lawyers of Senator Pacquiao have already sent a demand letter to Top Rank, but according to Pambansang Kamao’s camp to date, the promotional company has not taken any action on the said issue.
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Top Rank participated in the promotion of Pacquiao-Matthysse title fight together with ESPN.Both were responsible for airing the bout in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. But it was reported that the unpaid broadcast fees are approximately worth $1.7 million.
Arum made some comments after the Pacquiao-Matthysse fight. “Manny, we’re very good friends, so I will sit with him soon personally and will figure out what he wants to do, get him back in action”, the Top Rank promoter said.
“I think he realizes now he cannot carry all the loads and be successful….he can be successful in the ring, but wasn’t particularly successful in the promotion (of his last fight against Matthysse). I can’t see he made any money, he probably lost money.”
Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s long-time adviser in the boxing business, gave his opinion that the senator doing his own is successful in the Pacquiao-Matthysse promotion.
Koncz said, “Manny enjoyed the experience and absolute freedom of promoting himself and emphasize to me last night that will continue to do so. There were minor hiccups and obstacles, however it was our first time solo and MP Promotions succeeded when many thought we would fail . The fight and promotion in Malaysia was a profitable endeavor and Manny certainly made more promoting himself then he did in his last fight with Jeff Horn.”
Even before the Pacquiao-Matthysse title fight, Arum already doubted about the match taking place. Pacquiao explained that the preparations were finalized and the funds would be available. On July 2, Golden Boy and Matthysse confirmed they received the funds and the fight went on at the Axiata Arena in Malaysia.
This is not the first time that Bob Arum had been involved in disputes and controversies. The boxing promoter had a forty-year feud with Don King, his partner and co-promoter in several fights.
Then in 1994, he was again involved with John Daly in the High Noon in Hong Kong boxing card where the fights were cancelled at the last minute. Barry Hearn withdrew his fighters, when they were not paid by Top Rank. The boxing promoter had also some conflicts and feuds with former IBF president Robert W. “Bobby” Lee Sr., Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar dela Hoya, UFC president Dana White and against HBO because of his shrewd way of doing business in which Pacquiao knew all along and warned several times by those who know that bad practice of Arum.