Thursday, May 31, 2007 ‘Put aside anything that is not boxing’
AFTER boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao shot down a proposed rematch with World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, WBC president Jose Sulaiman is ready to step into the row and put back on track what is considered to be one of the mega fights this year.
In an interview with www.boxingscene.com, Sulaiman said he is willing to step in between the two camps—who are represented by the warring Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Promotions.
“My message to them both is, to put aside anything that is not boxing, to think this is one of the great fights that the world wants. And they should sit down and share it,” Sulaiman said.
The reference to “anything that is not boxing” could be a dig against Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter.
Arum, who has said Pacquiao is the attraction in the division and not the 33-year-old Marquez who won the crown against Marco Antonio Barrera, shot down a rematch because Pacquiao is set to receive a smaller piece of the purse.
Delight
The WBC president’s position on the Marquez-Pacquiao rematch is sure to delight Pacquiao fans as 64.3 percent of 8,202 voted for a rematch with Marquez than have Pacquiao face Barrera (12.3), Edwin Valero (11.4) or Joan Guzman (9.9)
The poll was conducted at mannypacquiao.ph.
“I prefer to allow a few days of thinking and trying to mediate for this fight to happen. If that doesn’t happen, then we will have to take a different path.
I cannot set deadlines, because I must work and that is what I’m going to do.
I am very disillusioned, but I haven’t lost faith. In my life, I’ve learned that the impossible doesn’t exist. It only takes a little longer.”
Last week, Pacquiao wrote WBC asking the organization to designate another mandatory challenger for Marquez, whom Pacquiao downed thrice in the first round but managed to catch up in the later rounds for a draw.
Pacquiao’s move prevented the WBC from going to a purse bid on June 18, the deadline for the free negotiations between GBP and Top Rank for the WBC title fight.
Under the purse bid, Marquez could get as much as 70 percent or 55 percent of purse, while Pacquiao could only get as low as 30 percent or 45 percent.
However, Sulaiman told www.boxingscene.com that the WBC board of governors can vote for a 50-50 of the purse split for the Marquez-Pacquiao fight. (ML)
