SULAIMAN DENIES SAYING PACQUIAO IS AFRAID OF MARQUEZ
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 Jun 2007
WBC president Jose Sulaiman has denied a report that claimed he said Manny Pacquiao is afraid of reigning WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez after Pacquiao declined a mandatory title shot at the Mexican.
Sulaiman told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today by way of clarification that he said “it is my opinion that Pacquiao respected Marquez as the strongest champion and it was Pacquiao’s opportunity to prove to be the best super featherweight in the world.”
Sulaiman also pointed out that a title fight against Marquez would help “clear the previous draw” of May 8, 2004 when Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the very first round before Marquez fought back furiously and put on a boxing clinic to salvage a draw with both sides claiming their fighter should have won.
The WBC president expressed his disappointment over Pacquiao’s declining the mandatory challenger’s spot and a possible purse bid should free negotiations fail to take place saying Pacquiao was losing the chance to make “the biggest purse of his life.”
The WBC board of governors was prepared to set aside the normal purse bid rules where the champion is entitled to 75 percent and the challenger 25 percent with Sulaiman stating it would have been a 50-50 split.
Sulaiman hinted that some individuals in Team Pacquiao were after their own interests and not that of Pacquiao.
In another development Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said he was “willing to sit down with our fighter (Pacquiao) and see if I can get a Marco Antonio Barrera or Marquez fight done.” Insisting that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum “does not hold any promotional rights to Pacquiao” and there was no need to sit down with Arum whom he accused of stealing Pacquiao and then acting as his promoter.
Schaefer told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today “if Manny wants to come and see me and honor his contract which he signed with us prior to signing an agreement with Top Rank I would certainly be open to sit down with him and try to put together any fight he (Pacquiao) wants.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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