By: James Blears
WBA and IBF Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez wants more money for his fight against Manny Pacquiao.
The two are scheduled to meet in a rematch on February 26th in Las Vegas. But Marquez’s manager Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain is still insisting that Juan must get the lion’s share of the purse to befit his status as the champion.
Pacquiao will take home 900,000 dollars which will be paid by promoter Murad Muhammad. While Marquez is being offered 750,000 dollars by Bob Arum’s Top Rank.
Beristain says this is plainly unfair because Juan is a double world champion and Manny Pacquiao is the challenger.
He says that both men richly contributed to a dramatic and spectacular first fight, but continues to argue for a minimum payday of 1.5 million dollars for his boxer, who holds two world title belts.
Beristain is also studying the contract of Juan Manuel Marquez to assess its provisions and calculate just how long it will remain valid.
Beristain is disputing that he’s pricing himself and his fighter out of the deal, stressing that it’s his job to get the best pay for his fighter, and that the short end of the stick is just not fair.