By Ronnie Nathanielsz

EVER since Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao annihilated Marco Antonio Barrera on Nov. 15, 2003 before a stunned, predominantly Mexican crowd at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, promoters and potential managers have been lining up, eager to get a piece of the action.

Outside the genuine boxing people, a new breed of hangers-on emerged from the woodwork in Los Angeles to crowd around the exciting ring gladiator, singing his praises and partaking of his generosity.

Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, who was named Trainer of the Year due mainly to what he had done to hone the skills of Pacquiao and the Filipino southpaw’s own ring exploits, soon won the admiration and respect of Pacquiao.

A former prizefighter himself, Roach had his own ideas about, who should handle Pacquiao and how they should treat the young warrior from General Santos City.

It was not long afterwards that Roach began to influence Pacquiao to junk flamboyant promoter Murad Muhammad, whose exuberant style, fancy suits and overall demeanor didn’t sit well with the simple-mannered Roach. Roach was convinced that Muhammad was taking more than his due from Paquiao and although he never said so openly, hinted that Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario was either tolerating Muhammad or was in cahoots with him.

The purse of Pacquiao for the Barrera fight was the principal bone of contention with Roach and all those, who began to slowly gang up on Muhammad and Nazario claiming that Pacquiao didn’t get what he was supposed to get.

In the meantime, it was evident that Oscar de la Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions were showing a quiet interest in Pacquiao. In fact, they sought to work through Nazario’s son, who lived in San Francisco and handled his father’s boxing affairs in the United States, Roberto Nazario, and journalist Winchell Campos. But the moment the elder Nazario heard about it, he put his foot down and said Muhammad had a live contract and he didn’t want anyone to violate it, least of all his own son.

Meantime, Pacquiao was being virtually brainwashed about Muhammad. The promoter was placed in the worst light possible. When the first encounter with legendary Mexican Erik “El Terrible” Morales came around, the demolition job picked up steam. Muhammad was accused of selling out on the issue of the gloves, when he agreed to have Pacquiao wear Morales’ choice of the Winning brand, which Roach described as “pillows” and not the “puncher’s gloves,” which were ideal for a heavy hitter like Pacquiao.

The issue was milked for all its worth and soon, Filipino and Fil-American fans as well as a powerful segment of American boxing writers, who didn’t particularly like Muhammad, jumped on the bandwagon. Pacquiao had signed a contract to fight Morales for $1.75 million, but both he and Morales, according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, were not entitled to a share of the pay-per-view revenue since their purse was substantial and the promoters—Arum and Muhammad—were taking what they claimed was “a huge risk.”

Meantime, Pacquiao signed up with a new management team, headed by Shelly Finkel and included lawyers Nick Khan and Keith Davidson, one day after Marty Elorde’s management contract expired on Jan. 31, 2005.

The day after Nazario and his well-known boxing friends and longtime partners Moy Lainez, Lito Mondejar and Gerry Garcia arrived in Los Angeles, Pacquiao visited their room at the Vagabond Inn, where he, too, used to stay in an $85 per day room. In the presence of sportswriter Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin and this reporter, Pacquiao revealed that the reason he signed with Finkel’s group was because they had committed to get him $4 million from the PPV revenues. Nazario advised him to concentrate on the fight and to discuss the issue of PPV revenues with Muhammad after the fight.

At the same time, Nazario told Pacquiao he had signed a contract for $1.75 million, which was one of the biggest purses in recent history, especially for a Filipino fighter and that there was no provision in the contract for a share of pay-per-view income. It was then that Pacquiao said: “If Finkel doesn’t deliver on his promise, I will tear up the contract.” This was because he was supposedly told by the California State Athletic Commission that he could rescind it, if he wished to. What he didn’t understand was that such action had to be taken within 48 hours after the signing?

It was also at that meeting that all of us present told Pacquiao that if we found out that Muhammad cheated him, we would gang up on the promoter. At about the same time, it appeared that Arum was licking his lips, ready to do Muhammad in. Prior to the fight, Pacquiao was caught up in a hassle over his failure to take several of the required medical tests with accusing fingers pointed at different people, including Roach. It happened that the Nevada State Athletic Commission wanted Pacquiao to take a blood test as well as an eye test because they had no record of Pacquiao’s test. Roach insisted that the tests had been taken and the rest, sent to Las Vegas but the Commission said it had no records.

“No test. No fight.”

That’s what Arum claimed he was told by the Commission. When Muhammad had former Federal Bureau of Investigation detective Warren Flagg call the doctor’s clinic in LA, he confirmed that no recent tests had been taken and he had no records. Soon, in a bizarre twist, Muhammad was being accused of having had the test results stolen.

In the end, Pacquiao went to an accredited clinic and took the tests.

Muhammad also was accused of grabbing the suite at the MGM Grand Hotel reserved for Pacquao while shunting Pacquiao to a smaller, less fancy suite. However, the suite Pacquiao was given was the same suite he occupied for the Marquez title fight while, Muhammad’s suite, according to the promoter, was the same one he occupied in previous fights, which he promoted.

On fight night, Muhammad discovered that he had been relegated from a usual front-row seat to a seat a few rows behind while former Mexican great Julio Caesar Chavez was given a choice seat near Morales’ corner and in-between rounds, stood up and shouted instructions, which was against the rules. But nothing was done. To compound the felony, referee Joe Cortez called a clear head-butt by Morales, which opened up a nasty gash on Pacquiao’s eyebrow a legitimate punch, further stacking the deck against Pacquiao.

His face masked by his own blood, Pacquiao fought with incredible gallantry and in the end, he lost a unanimous points decision, but in losing won the hearts of fight fans and the boxing media as well as the respect of Morales.

After the post-fight press conference, we spoke to Arum about a possible rematch and a Philippine-Mexico showdown and suggested that perhaps, he should work it out with Muhammad.

He replied: “Great idea, but I don’t think it will be with Muhammad.”

The die was cast. Arum, who had praised Muhammad for his eloquent promotion of the fight “Coming with Everything” at the press conference to announce the showdown, had just as quickly turned against Muhammad. He was ready to do business with someone else.

It was not long afterwards that Pacquiao, with the help of Finkel and lawyer Judd Berstein, who is known as a legal luminary when it comes to boxing, slapped Muhammad with a $33-million suit. In the end, they reached an out-of-court settlement, which the judge herself directed should not be revealed. But soon, the figures were out with Pacquiao’s camp, claiming Muhammad settled for an $800,000 payment and the release of the Filipino from his contractual obligations. To this day, Muhammad refuses to divulge the financial terms of the settlement, claiming he is sworn to secrecy. But he did say that in the end, it was good for all concerned. He declined to say for how long.

Muhammad is now promoting former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and said he is confident Holyfield is The Real Deal, who will become world heavyweight champion for the fifth time. In an effort to keep his ties with the Philippines intact, Muhammad has negotiated with Nazario to have RP light flyweight champion Florante Condes and top-rated super featherweight Bernabe Concepcion featured on the undercard of the Holyfield-Fres Oquendo heavyweight battle this November in Texas.

With Pacquiao’s stock rising, Finkel figured he needed a promoter and brought in Gary Shaw, who spoke a lot, sometimes being likened to a white man’s Muhammad, but didn’t deliver much. After collecting $50,000 for Pacquiao’s tune-up fight against Hector Velazquez and $250,000 for the rematch with Morales, Pacquiao junked Shaw who was extremely bitter about the treatment he received and lectured the Filipino about loyalty. Here again, Roach didn’t take too kindly to Shaw and that probably influenced Pacquiao’s decision.

After Pacquiao’s sensational 10th-round destruction of Morales last January, his stock rose immeasurably and soon, most boxing fans and even journalists were enamored with the Filipino with the impish grin and the smiling eyes.

Promoters and even potential managers were soon strategizing on how to clinch a deal with Pacquiao. Some of his newfound advisers soon began to whisper in his ear that he didn’t need a manager and that he was so big, promoters would chase after him. Besides, the theory was, Pacquiao could save a substantial amount, which would otherwise go to Finkel. Sounded good, except that those who wanted him to cut off ties with Finkel were not interested in helping Pacquiao. They were hoping to partake of at least a percentage of the savings.

Meantime, Arum was maneuvering to bring Pacquiao into his fold knowing perhaps that his prized possession, Morales, was having a hard time making the 130-pound limit for his Nov. 18 Grand Finale rubber match with the Filipino and could conceivably suffer a bad beating. Arum was hedging his bets.

Boxing manager and promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, who in recent months moved up front as a friend and confidant of Pacquiao, and Michael Koncz, who helped Bobby Pacquiao, among others, land some good fights in the US, were clearly leaning toward getting the Pacman to tie-up with Arum. Salud said Arum was very fair in dealing with Filipino fighters and advised Pacquiao to wait until after the Nov. 18 battle with Morales to sign up with a promoter.

Salud’s advice appeared sound. “Study all the offers and take the best one because this is business. You must think of your future.” Besides, his theory was that there was no need to hurry since Pacquiao was a huge draw and would get the fights he wanted because, in real terms, he was a promoters’ gold mine.

De la Hoya, sensing that Pacquiao may be persuaded to sign up with Arum, his bitter rival, got to work, primarily banking on Roach to a much lesser extend on some of the fringe players in Team Pacquiao, like Joe Ramos and Campos. In fact, De la Hoya was reported to have called Campos sometime last August, asking him to set-up a meeting with Pacquiao. Salud learned about this, but advised Pacquiao not to sign anything. He didn’t reckon with Roach. After virtually rescuing flyweight contender Diosdado Gabi from the clutches of Koncz, who allegedly ill-treated the little Filipino fighter, Roach became his manager and promptly had Gabi sign up with Golden Boy Promotions. When former world super flyweight champion Gerry Peñalosa flew to LA ahead of Pacquiao, he was ready to sign up with Golden Boy but Salud got wind of it and called him and told him to wait for Pacquiao to arrive.

When Pacquiao arrived last Monday in LA, he hardly had any time for the others, who were there and appeared to have time only for Roach. Soon, they both disappeared. They went to a steakhouse, where they met De la Hoya and after dinner, Pacquiao signed a seven-fight deal for a reported signing bonus of $300,000. When he learned about the signing, Salud said the amount was “far too small.”

As early as last Sept. 9, we e-mailed Eric Gomez inquiring whether what we heard was true that Manny was ready to sign with Golden Boy.

Gomez replied promptly. “I cannot confirm or deny. I will have more details shortly. Complicated.”

It was the strongest clue that Pacquiao was ready to sign. Finkel, for his part, said he was not sure what was happening and indicated that he would see Pacquiao the following week and hopefully get a better idea.

Part 2 of this column is Coming Soon