By Ronnie Nathanielsz (Photo Jeff Scheid)
The executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Marc Ratner, is saddened by the controversy surrounding the epic showdown between Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao and former three-time world champion Erik “El Terrible” Morales at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last March 19.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, the influential boxing authority in Nevada said it was unfortunate that various controversies arose because “they certainly should not take anything away from the great, magnificent fight that it was” where both fighters gave their very best even as he expressed the hope that “they will have a rematch and fight just as well.”
Going into specifics Ratner stated that in the fight contracts signed and submitted to the Nevada State Athletic Commission both fighters were to receive $1.75 million each although previous reports claimed Morales received $2.5 million. He said the commission needed only “the bout agreements” and did not require any agreements regarding pay-per-view which were considered “civil agreements” between HBO and lead promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and Murad Muhammad, promoter of Manny Pacquiao. Ratner, at the same time indicated that the fighters “should see the details of anything they sign.”
Regarding the medical tests which Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach claimed had been “lost” and which Pacquiao himself was reported to have hinted may have been stolen by Murad Muhammad, Ratner stated quite clearly that Pacquiao’s camp did have a medical test and the results were available but they failed to comply with two basic requirements. One was that the test should have included both blood tests and an eye examination and that the tests should have been conducted within thirty days of the fight.
Ratner said the tests were conducted in January which “wasn’t timely” since it was beyond the required deadline and that no eye tests were conducted because it was “not required” by the California State Athletic Commission.
Arum had earlier said he had asked Pacquiao’s new management team headed by Shelly Finkel and promoter Murad Muhammad to resolve their differences because otherwise Morales wouldn’t fight Pacquiao in a rematch. Arum indicated he wanted to feature Morales and Pacquiao against separate opponents in a September double-header and “if they both win, put them against each other sometime in December.”