Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2004

‘P100M needed for next bout’

By Bong Pedralvez , Subeditor

A cool P100 million.

That is the new price tag should Manny Pacquiao stage his fight in Manila, according to business manager Rod Nazario.

“Manny’s purse alone would be around $1 million [P55 million]. You also would have to consider his opponent’s purse, the traveling and billeting expenses of his entourage, the licensing fees should world bodies be involved, etcetera,” Nazario said.

“So P100 million would be a pretty good estimate on how much staging Pacquiao’s fight would take,” added Nazario. “I don’t think a single local promoter can afford it.”

Nazario said that if the fight was held outside of the Philippines, he would demand nothing less than a $1.5 million purse for Pacquiao, whose stock soared once more after fighting Juan Manuel Marquez to a controversial split draw in a bid to wrest the Mexican’s Interna­tional Boxing Federation and World Boxing Featherweight titles on May 9.

He said he would insist that Pacquiao’s next big fight be held neither in Las Vegas nor California, recalling the “bad experiences” the Filipino ring icon’s camp had when his fights were staged there.

Murad Muhammad, the Filipino fighter’s American promoter who arrived with Pacquiao’s entourage from the US early Thursday, said he would love to have Manny’s next blockbuster bout in the country.

“Your boy has placed your country on the boxing world map. It is only fitting that Manny fights in front of his countrymen,” said Murad at a press briefing cum thanksgiving party at the Emerald Garden Restaurant on Thursday night.

Nazario and Pacquiao also graced the occasion.

“I love the Filipino people. Boxing writers from all over the world would now like to come Manila to see Manny fight,” said Murad, who disclosed that he and Nazario would be talking to four people who expressed their willingness to bankroll the match.

“We are looking at a possible cham­pion­ship match sometime early next year,” Murad said.

Nazario said one possible sponsor of Pacquiao’s Manila promotion was tele­com giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., with whom the boxer recently signed a hefty endorsement deal.

Nazario and his charge were scheduled to meet with PLDT top honcho Manny Pangilinan on Friday afternoon, although the business manager and boxer declined to say what the meeting would be about.

Nazario said he also received word that another wealthy promoter had called his wife and wanted to discuss the possible sponsorship of Pacquiao’s Philippine match.

“I was surprised to learn who it was because I never expected this person to show interest in boxing. When told of the P100-million cost, the promoter said they could afford it,” Nazario said.

“We are scheduled to talk to the promoter on May 19. I think they can afford it [the promotion].”

Both Nazario and Murad said a rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez, especially in the Philippines, would still be the biggest draw, although it was unlikely the Mexican would fight the Filipino anew considering the outcome of their last match.

“Pacquiao destroyed Marquez’s spirit. He took his soul. He is not the boxer he once was after he took much punishment from Manny,” Murad said.

He also dismissed Marquez’s reply to the Mexican press the other day that it would be best for Pacquiao to win a “legitimate” title first before he considers having a return bout with the Filipino.

“At a rating of 1 to 10, Marquez was a four to Manny’s 9 or 10. He was a nobody until he met Pacquiao. Now he is known as a fighter with a heart who survived getting knocked down thrice by the Filipino,” the promoter said.

“Those are the belts that Manny should be wearing because he clearly won the fight. We don’t need Marquez; he needs us. If he doesn’t want a rematch then we move on,” he added.

Still, the box-office appeal of Marquez-Pacquiao rematch, Murad stressed could draw the Mexican into changing his mind.

“As I have said, boxers fight for the money, the title, and for more money. Marquez won’t get anywhere near the money he would get if he fights Manny again,” said Murad, who disclosed that the Mexican’s prize money of $750,000 was his biggest in his boxing career.

Of that amount, however, the American ring impresario said the WBA-IBF champion merely got $350,000, the other half going to promoter Bob Arum.

He said that a $1 million purse exclusively for Marquez would be enough incentive for him to re-enter the ring with Pacquiao.

On the other hand, Nazario said: “I think if you offered Marquez $600,000 that would still be enough for him to think of fighting Pacquiao again.”