Last week, adviser Michel Koncz (yes, he still holds the title of adviser) traveled to the Philippines to present Manny Pacquiao the contract for his third installment with Juan Manuel Marquez. That was nearly six days ago and yet, for some reason, that contract is still unsigned at the time of this writing. Evidently, word in the Philippines is that the 8-division world champion is not entirely pleased with the $20 million purse he's been guaranteed for the fight. In fact, according to a source, it was Pacquiao's new accounting firm, VisionQwest, who recommended that he turn down the initial offer.
"VisionQwest deinied the contract with Top Rank regarding Marquez. Bob is selling tickets to an event that Manny has not even signed a contract for," the source commented when asked whether or not all details had been finalized. "They turned down the $20 million guarantee. I think comparing his purses to what Mayweather is making helps them realize that Manny deserves better," the source added.
It should be noted that getting Pacquiao's John Hancock on the dotted line is likely only a formality, one that can easily be fixed provided that Bob Arum increases his guaranteed purse. That being said, it's becoming more and more obvious that the Filipino icon is beginning to leverage his star power as a means to ensure that he's maximizing his earning potential...even when it comes to dealing with his own promoter. Of course, this should come as no surprise as Pacquiao also played hardball with Arum when it came to previous bouts against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, two bouts that he nearly walked away from until his demands for more money were met. In this case, however, it looks like Pacquiao is beginning to realize that if he's the new face of boxing, then he should be paid accordingly.
Tickets have sold briskly for Pacquiao's third bout with Marquez; we're quite sure that Bob Arum will do whatever is necessary to make sure that contract is signed.
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