NO SIR, IT WAS NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE BEER
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 27 Jan 2009
Funny how the dramatic development in the purse tug-of-war between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and British Ricky Hatton was trivialized by reports that Manny signed the fight contract after confidante Wakee Salud accepted the dare to gulp down three bottles of beer.
No sir! It was not because of the beer, not even the heart-to-heart talk with his promoter Bob Arum, that made Manny agree to the terms and conditions of his May 2 Las Vegas fight against Hatton.
Manny got what he wanted -- respect and a bigger share of the purse -- and those simply were the reasons why he signed the contract to fight Hatton. Not the beer drinking dare or the heart-to-heart talk.
What was lost in the lighthearted articles written about the latest development was the implication of Manny Pacquiao's dogged determination to earn the respect of what boxing writer Michael Marley calls "sharks in suits," fight impresarios who for so long have acted like demi-gods who decided which boxer gets what fight and what purse.
Well, the days when promoters ran circles around dumb fighters, sometimes not even showing them the contracts, are gone now and maybe forever because of what Manny Pacquiao did.
More than that, Manny has redeemed the honor of the Filipino people by teaching them to fight for what is rightfully theirs. Pacquiao stood his ground and did not budge even when he was threatened that the fight would not push through.
Money-wise, what did Manny Pacquiao get? Well, as has been reported in the media, 52% of the guaranteed purse which is translated to $12 million plus the earnings in the pay-per-view. In addition, it was reported that Bob Arum coughed up an additional amount -- in the vicinity of $1 to $1.5 million -- just to get Manny to affix his signature on the fight contract.
Some people accuse Manny Pacquiao of greed when he demanded so much.
Greed, my eye!
Is it greed when Kobe Bryant negotiates for a better deal with his team's management, or when Tiger Woods asks for millions of dollars for product endorsements?
Hell, no!
They are just getting what is due them because of their talents, skills and popularity.
In the case of Manny Pacquiao, he got the amount that he wanted and achieved even more.
By showing stubborness in the negotiations, refusing to blink when the "sharks" thought he would, Pacquiao proved to the whole world that the Filipino -- often ridiculed as a nation of japayukis, nannies and migrant workers -- cannot simply be pushed around.
Pacquiao showed to the whole world that in a nation where politicians are accused of selling their people's interests for a few million pesos, there is a Filipino who could say No to a projected fight earnings of P1 billion simply because it is not fair.
That thought alone is enough to lift the spirits of the Filipino people. And that refreshing feeling is worth more than just the value of 1.5 million dollars.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Manny Piñol.
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