By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Photo © JC Diaz/FightWireImages.com

The President and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer says the rematch between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and reigning WBC super featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera will not happen in April as Pacquiao claimed in an interview with ABS-CBN, Friday. In fact it may not happen at all.

 

Schaefer informed us that he has been busy negotiating for a Barrera title defense against featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez with the fighters themselves and HBO. Schaefer added “its not finalized yet but close.” He said the confirmed date is March 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Schaefer said that with the cancellation by the WBC of the scheduled February 12 purse bid Barrera is free to fight Marquez.

 

WBC president Jose Sulaiman earlier informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that the WBC suspended the purse bid and was “researching the situation and will continue doing it until the clarification of the facts for the free negotiations” because of the legal battle between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank over the promotional rights to Pacquiao who had signed contracts with both outfits.

In mid-September Pacquiao signed a seven fight contract with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and on September 18 Bob Arum announced the Filipino icon had signed a four-year deal with Top Rank.

 

Schaefer said Golden Boys plans are “to potentially do a rematch in September” and said they already had September 15 on hold both with HBO and MGM Grand. However, the rematch will almost certainly not happen should Barrera lose to Marquez.

 

The failure to push through with the planned rematch against Barrera which what a large majority of fight fans as well as Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach want to see will mean Pacquiao losing a potential $5 million purse and substantial pay-per-view income.

The top executive of Golden Boy said with what appeared to be a tinge of disappointment, “it is unfortunate that Manny does not seem to want to make a decision.” Schaefer speculated, “maybe he (Pacquiao) just does not want to fight Barrera.”

 

Schaefer said he had no doubt that Golden Boy will win the lawsuit against Top Rank and Bob Arum and “ultimately we will promote Manny’s fight. At such time we will sit down with him and see who is available.” He said that in the meantime it would not be fair to Barrera and Marquez “to simply sit around and wait” stating that he believes the contractual dispute “will not be resolved shortly.”

 

In an obvious dig at some of the people who surround Pacquiao, the Golden Boy CEO said “I don’t know from where Manny gets his information but he will come to realize that whoever feeds him that information is lying and does not have his best interests in mind."

"My hope is that Manny comes to realize who his true friends are and would use past experience as a measuring  stick of friendship. Who helped him out in his last mess and who has helped him to become the fighter he is today?”