ARUM PLAYS LAST CARD ? 52-48
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 20 Jan 2009
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is playing his last card ? a 52-48 percent split of revenues in favor of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in his scheduled May 2 showdown with Britain?s Ricky ?The Hitman? Hatton.
In an overseas telephone conversation from Las Vegas , the astute promoter said there was a ?little change? from the originally agreed upon 50-50 split between Pacquiao?s promoter and Hatton?s handlers who conceded to a 52-48 in favor of Pacquiao.
Arum revealed that ?they all say its going to happen but it has to happen today (Monday, Manila Time).? That?s because Arum said he has a conference with the Hatton representatives, presumably lawyer Gareth Williams, at ten o?clock on Monday ( US Time.)
He said Pacquiao ?has the contract and hopefully he?s going to sign because we are talking about millions of dollars that Hatton is going to bring in? besides proving that Pacquiao was able to get things changed in his favor.
Arum said flatly ?if we don?t make a decision, there won?t be a fight.?
Pacquiao had earlier demanded a 60-40 split but told us on Sunday that there was a possibility of a deal being done on a 52-48 or 55-45 revenue split.
One of his close friends Rex ?Wakee? Salud explained that the 55-45 split was premised on the possibility of Hatton getting the bigger cut on British pay-per-view buys and Pacquiao enjoying the advantage in the rest of the world.
However, it was pointed out that such a deal may work to the disadvantage of Pacquiao financially since historically the British PPV market in most big Hatton fights was huge and the best example was the Hatton clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr which drew over 1.25 million buys in Britain and only 850,000 in the US ..
Salud disclosed what Arum believed was the reason behind Pacquiao's demand for a 60-40 split and that was his desire for a higher guarantee. Pacquiao received a $11 million guarantee for the Oscar De La Hoya fight last December 6 while De La Hoya received a 20 million guarantee. Salud hinted that if Arum upped Pacquiao's guarantee the deal could be made.
Arum appeared peeved over people who keep whispering to Pacquiao, claiming ?they know nothing? while trainer Freddie Roach was reportedly disappointed that he's called Pacquiao several times and hasn't been able to talk to him or receive a return call.
Pacquiao, accompanied by veteran congressman Eddie Gullas paid homage to the miraculous Sto Nino image Monday afternoon after a meeting with some of his advisers but there was no word at press time whether he had accepted the counter proposal from Arum.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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