by Ronnie Nathanielsz
World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman says he doesn’t believe there will be a problem with WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao on the issue of the sanction fee for the Oscar De La Hoya “Dream Match” at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6.
In an overseas telephone conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Don Jose said Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal hadn’t gotten back to him regarding the amount decided on by the WBC. Gacal had earlier contacted Sulaiman in Hong Kong to discuss the issue.
Sulaiman made it clear that they had reduced the 1.5 percent under the rules to 1.0 percent as approved by the Board of Directors and that he had accepted the claim by Gacal that the guaranteed purse of Pacquiao for the De La Hoya fight was only $6 million and not the $10-$20 million being mentioned in media and based the sanction fee on that amount.
However, Sulaiman said Gacal was offering to pay $50,000 instead of $60,000 but that he had pointed out it was only a difference of $10,000 in a big fight purse.
Sulaiman said since he just arrived late last night in Mexico Gacal hadn’t contacted him but added “I believe there will be no problem.”
Gacal earlier told us that the $30,000 shortfall for the rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez was a legitimate obligation and it would be paid by Pacquiao.
On the issue of Pacquiao’s WBC lightweight title, Sulaiman said it would be best “to wait and see what will happen after the De La Hoya fight.”
Michael Koncz, an adviser to Pacquiao had earlier written to the WBC saying there were plans for Pacquiao to fight Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton or even Floyd Mayweather Jr after the De La Hoya fight, prompting Sulaiman to withhold any decision on the fate of Pacquiao’s lightweight title.
Under WBC rules he has to make a mandatory defense within one year of having won the title from David Diaz on June 28, 2008.
