By Lem Satterfield
Michael Koncz believes that eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao is likely to accept the terms and sign for what stands to be his largest, career pay day and a third bout opposite 37-year-old WBA and WBO lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez in defense of Pacquiao's WBO belt on Nov. 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Pacquiao's adviser told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday night.
Koncz made his assertion within an hours after a nearly three-hour dinner meeting at Los Angeles' Palms Steak House that may have finalized the deal with Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who earlier in the day had secured the signature Marquez (52-5-1, 38 knockouts) accepting the fight.
"The meeting with Bob Arum went very well. We discussed the purse for Manny, and I think that it's something that perhaps Manny will accept," said Koncz, who will bring the terms to Pacquiao in his native Philippines for a decision that could come as early as next week.
"Obviously, it's still up to Manny," said Koncz. "I mean, I think that we're right where we need to be, but like I said, the final decision is up to Manny."
In May of 2004, and, again in March of 2008, Marquez battled through a draw and a split-decision loss, respectively, against Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs), this, despite Marquez' being floored three times in the first round of their initial clash, and, once more, in their second.
Pacquiao-Marquez I was contested for the WBA and IBF featheweight belts, and Pacquiao-Marquez II, for the WBC super featherweight crown.
"After meeting with Bob, this fight with Marquez has the history and has shown that it can be an exciting fight that can do well," said Koncz.
"Marquez really believes that he can beat Manny," said Koncz. "I mean, many other boxers have had that same belief, but Marquez is the one who has come the closest to doing it twice in a row."
In the third fight, Pacquiao, who turns 33 in December, and Marquez, who turns 38 in August, are expected to face off at a catch-weight of 144-pounds.
In addition, Marquez stands to receive a guaranteed of $5 million plus $5 per home after 850,000 pay-per-view buys, and, in victory, has been guaranteed $10 million dollars for a fourth fight.
In November, Marquez rose from a third-round knockdown to score a ninth-round stoppage over 30-year-old, former interim titlist Michael Katsidis (27-4, 22 KOs).
On May 7, Pacquiao ran his unbeaten streak that includes eight knockouts to 14 consecutive bouts with a unanimous decision over 39-year-old, five-time champion, Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) before a sellout crowd at the MGM Grand, for which he earned a career-best guaranteed $20 million.
Marquez's participation in the trilogy is contingent on his winning a July 2 clash in Mexico City opposite 34-year-old, former lightweight titlist David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs), whom Pacquiao dethroned as WBC lightweight champion by ninth-round knockout in June of 2008.
If everything is finalized, Pacquiao-Marquez III will be televised on pay-per-view either on Showtime or HBO, which was also part of Wednesday night's discussion, Koncz said.
Koncz, Pacquiao and Arum made their first-ever decision to go with Showtime for the Mosley fight rather than with HBO because they saw a major advantage presented by Showtime's ability to televise the multi-part series, Fight Camp 360, the equivalent to HBO's 24/7 -- on CBS, as well as the ability for CBS to reach 115 million homes compared to HBO's 28 million homes.
"One of the things that came up during dinner was which network would be showing the fight," said Koncz, adding that a network has not yet been chosen. "Like I said, we discussed Manny's purse. I mean, there were many discussions that came up."
Since earning the WBO belt with a November, 2009, 12th-round stoppage of current WBA junior middleweight champ Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs), Pacquiao has vanquished Mosley, ex-titlist Joshua Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs) by one-sided unanimous decision in March of 2010, and former belt-holder, Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) by lopsided unanimous decision -- the latter for the since relinquished WBC junior middleweight crown.
"I don't want to say that this with Marquez will be the best fight that Manny will have had in the last five because people don't understand that, for example, that the Margarito fight was one of the hardest fights that Manny's ever had," said Koncz.
"Manny has said that to me, but again, because of Manny's abilities, he makes it look so easy. But these fights are not easy. That's just a misconception that people get," said Koncz. "Margarito hit hard and he head hunts and he hurt Manny. But as to this particular fight with Marquez, if Manny accepts it, it should do well. So I will present the terms to Manny, and I think that he will be pleased."