By Ronnie Nathanielsz

World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman says the WBC is “very, very, very confused” over plans for a possible super featherweight title bout between reigning champion Marco Antonio Barrera and mandatory challenger, Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao.

In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Sulaiman who had spoken to Pacquiao and his close associate Rex “Wakee” Salud on Wednesday said “one day Pacquiao tells me that he is ready to fight Barrera in April but they cannot put the date” and the next day there is talk about a fight with WBC featherweight champion In Jin Chi or another opponent.

Sulaiman pointed out that the dates are set by the promoters once they are able to secure a television date.

The WBC president said that after his conversation with Pacquiao he learned that the Pacquiao was “going to fight In Jin Chi in Macau .” The offer of In Jin Chi to move up from featherweight to super featherweight to fight Pacquiao on April 28 in Macau was relayed to both Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Pacquiao on request of In Jin Chi’s manager Kusung Lee and his close friend, lawyer Rudy Salud,   by this reporter.

Arum said he would clear it with Pacquiao although he said the Korean WBC featherweight champion was tough and it would be a good fight. Pacquiao however indicated he had nothing to gain by fighting In Jin Chi but would take the fight if his purse was a good one.

Sulaiman revealed that Golden Boy Promotions who handle Barrera and signed a seven-fight contract with Pacquiao in mid-September told him “they just cant get an agreement with this man (Pacquiao)” adding that the WBC “cannot freeze the champion as they have a date on March 17.”

Because of the lawsuits between Golden Boy and Top Rank, Sulaiman said he was advised by the legal counsel that “we (WBC) might get involved in litigation problems because they are in court.”

Sulaiman said he will allow “both fighters to have the opportunity to have one fight.” He said that once those fights are done the WBC will “immediately proceed with free negotiations, purse offers and all of that” setting a three week deadline for a purse offer should negotiations fall through even in the midst of the legal battle between contending promoters Golden Boy and Top Rank.

The WBC president said the leading boxing organization in the world would allow Barrera to fight Juan Manuel Marquez as announced by Golden Boy Promotions with the fight taking place on March 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas . Sulaiman disclosed that should Barrera win and then say he doesn’t want the fight with Pacquiao “he will lose the title and if Pacquiao doesn’t he will lose his rights as mandatory challenger.”