By Ronnie Nathanielsz
International promoter Murad Muhammad who gave Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao the breaks that earned him a shot at the IBF junior featherweight title held by Lelohonolo Ledwaba and later arranged the high profile battle with legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera is scheduled to arrive with Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario from Los Angeles aboard a Philippine Airlines flight this morning.
Murad told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in an overseas telephone conversation that he had decided to come to Manila so he and Nazario could sit down with Pacquiao to discuss the planned December 4 fight against WBO Intercontinental champion Gairy St. Clair as well as the scheduled rematch against WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez and a possible blockbuster showdown with WBC junior lightweight champion Erik Morales should be prevail in his third encounter with Barrera on November 27.
Pacquiao himself told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in a long distance call from his hometown of General Santos City that he planned to come to Manila on Monday to meet with Nazario, but did not know that Murad would also be here. Murad indicated that he would like to finalize details of the December 4 tune-up fight for Pacquiao who said he was "working out but not sparring" raising some concern about a reported pain in his left wrist. However, the flamboyant Filipino said he was ready to fight St. Clair.
Murad and Nazario will have to work out the financial details of the Manila fight which is expected to be held at the Araneta Coliseum after a Solar Sports executive revealed that in conversations with the group that is putting up the funds for the fight he learned that they had set a ceiling of $650,000 or around P40 million for the purses of both fighters and all other expenses. Solar Sports which holds the TV rights to the fight said the most they could earn from TV was P10 million with another P10 million maximum from gate receipts leaving a P20 million shortfall. They expressed the hope that Pacquiao would be reasonable and accept a purse below the $500,000 originally mentioned.
Meantime, Team Pacquiao member Moy Lainez said he had been instructed by Nazario to prepare the supporting card for December 4 which will feature Philippine super featherweight champion and Orient Pacific Boxing Federation No. 1 Bobby Pacquiao, younger brother of Manny Pacquiao and Philippine and OPBF No. 1 ranked super flyweight Z "The Dream" Gorres who are currently training under the watchful eye of Freddie Roach at his Wild Card Gym.
Gorres has been particularly impressive in the gym having battered world-rated flyweight Brian Viloria in a sparring session according to Pacquiao's Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez. Gorres is scheduled to make his US debut on October 28 in an eight round bout against a Mexican fighter in San Diego City.