FROM ALI TO PACQUIAO, MURAD MUHAMMAD IN HIS OWN WORDS PT. 12: PACQUIAO, JONES AND THE DESPICABLE LIARS

By Percy Crawford | February 17, 2010

"They started it on HBO. HBO did the despicable. For the first time in the history of the business, the commentator Larry Merchant announced to the world that Murad Muhammad received $700,000; $700,000 for license fee. Go through the record. Never in the history of the sport have they ever disclosed how much the promoter's license fee was...I opened my books and showed them everything and it came out that that was an outright lie and that Murad Muhammad received $200,000 and Pacquiao got $500,000...they didn't like that because I came out of that looking like the cleanest promoter in the business, so here they come to ridicule my name. So it started from HBO...I don't know why Ross Greenburg didn't see me as a friend...I didn't have a relationship with him. I did not have a relationship with Lou Dibella. I didn't even know Lou Dibella existed because my deals were with Seth Abraham," stated promoter Murad Muhammad as he revealed intriguing details about Manny Pacquiao, Roy Jones Jr. and the manner in which HBO executives, like Seth Abraham, Kerry Davis and Lou DiBella, dealt with them. Don't miss this behind-the-scenes look into the history of the sport as Murad himself tells his story in his own words. From Muhammad Ali to Manny Pacquiao, he has worked alongside some of the biggest names in boxing and you don't want to miss more of his extremely revealing tales. Check it out...

They started it on HBO. HBO did the despicable. For the first time in the history of the business, the commentator Larry Merchant announced to the world that Murad Muhammad received $700,000; $700,000 for license fee. Go through the record. Never in the history of the sport have they ever disclosed how much the promoter's license fee was. They said, "Murad went home with $500,000 and gave Pacquiao $200,000." It was a lie, so I called Merchant and I said, "Merchant, how come, after all of the years you have known me, you would make a bold disclosure that has never been done?" He said, "Well, I'm helping the fighter." I said, "If you want to help the fighters, what about the American fighters that need help? I don't see you helping them. Why would you go all the way overseas and help a foreigner on an innuendo accusation?" He said, "Well, I was told by Freddie Roach." I said, "The fighter has been lying to Freddie Roach and that's why Freddie Roach don't like me. He don't want to pay Freddie Roach the money that he's receiving, so Freddie Roach thinks it's me. But you could have took one giant step. I sat on the other side of the table man. You should have asked me and I would have said, 'No that's not true.'"

I went to Eddie Mustafa [Muhammad], who had this company called DARE. I opened my books and showed them everything and it came out that that was an outright lie and that Murad Muhammad received $200,000 and Pacquiao got $500,000. I said, "HBO needs to change it." Word got back that Ross Greenburg said, "No, we're not going to change it." So it was left out there and I got all kinds of racial calls and threats; that's how it begun. Now I'm considered a crook, but keep in mind, boxing was investigated for 14 years by a guy named Warren Flag. They called him "The Flag Man." He was the FBI agent that got Arum to admit to fraud under oath, but they don't talk about this. Cedric Kushner admitted to fraud under oath, but they don't talk about this. Duva admitted to fraud under oath, but they don't talk about this; not the deceased Duva, but Dino. So Cedric Kushner, Dino Duva and Bob Arum admitted to fraud. King did not admit to anything and the FBI wrote, "Murad Muhammad is the cleanest promoter out there. They never even had to investigate him because he never stole a nickel." But they didn't like that because I came out of that looking like the cleanest promoter in the business, so here they come to ridicule my name. So it started from HBO, and all of my legal men said, "We got a major lawsuit." I never sued.

Why? Because I can't forget the wonderful years with Seth Abraham and all of the good things that I done for HBO and they done for me. I'm a friend of Kerry Davis, I'm a friend of Seth Abraham and I'm a friend of Mark Taffet. I don't know why Ross Greenburg didn't see me as a friend, but Ross Greenburg was never in the executive room. Ross Greenburg was always the producer and few fighters talked to the producer. The only time I ever had a conversation with Ross Greenburg was when he called me and asked me to go to Conseco Fieldhouse. Outside of that, I didn't have a relationship with him. I did not have a relationship with Lou Dibella. I didn't even know Lou Dibella existed because my deals were with Seth Abraham. When I brought Roy Jones Jr. back from HBO to the top, it was one voice at that table. It was Ross Greenburg, Mark Taffet, the lawyer Lou Dibella and a young black man named Kerry Davis. Lou Dibella had the voice at the table and he called Roy Jones Jr. everything but the "N" word. He turned me off when I first met him.

Later on, he had been with HBO for 18 years, but I'm telling you, I never saw him, never dealt with him and didn't even know he existed until that day. He was telling me that Roy Jones Jr. is an ingrate, that Roy Jones Jr. cannot leave and that they will take Roy Jones Jr. to a court of law. He ridiculed Roy Jones Jr. I said, "Are you finished sir?" He said, "Yes!" I said, "Seth, allow me to explain why I am here. Roy Jones Jr. is one of the best fighters in the world, but he's not happy and the reason he is not happy is because when he comes to your parties, he sees all of you and none of him, meaning he doesn't see his family, he doesn't see African Americans and he feels like he's a puppet and ya'll are pulling the strings. A black man, when he is poor, will go for anything, but when you become financially independent, you now begin to think about self consciousness. That don't make him a racist because he is race conscious, but he doesn't see his people, so he's not happy. Furthermore he never thought that he would make it this far in a short period of time."

When Roy signed the agreement, he thought it would take years to get to the level he had reached. I told them, "He's now on this level, but let's put the contract aside because all of you who are sitting at this table have certificates on your wives, I know I do, but go get that certificate and put it on the table and say, 'You better have my children, you better give me sex when I want it, you better cook my meals and clean my clothes.' That woman will tell you what to do with that piece of paper, so contracts don't put fighters in the ring. A marriage is give and take. She loves you and you love her. Well, right now, the wife is not in love with you anymore. So he's looking for 2 things, to amend this marriage or get a divorce." I told them, "Look at him as a Bentley; beautiful to look at, but it's not going to the next city without enough gasoline and right now, there is not enough gasoline for us to go further." I said, "Now you know me Seth and I know you going to tell me what this man related to me; that he don't show up, he don't come when he's supposed to and all of those things, but that's because no one knows how to talk to him. But if you trust him with me, I will get him there." He [Seth Abraham] said, "Well Murad, what will it take?" I said, "More money." He said, "You got it! I will put my money on Murad Muhammad. This fighter hasn't lived up to expectations. I thought he was going to be the greatest thing ever, but someone has to get in his head and I trust Murad." I said, "One clause that I want in the agreement." He said, "What's that?" I said, "Keep that man [Lou DiBella] right there away from me. I would rather deal with that black man [Kerry Davis] that's sitting right there." Kerry told me he was shaking because he had never saw a black man stand up for another black man.

I said, "Now I know he [Kerry Davis] can deliver, but when he can't deliver Seth, I'm going to do what I have been doing for the last 20 years. I'm going to call you." I said, "If he does what he is supposed to do, you don't have to hear from me, but if I curse him out or he curse me out, we will call each other tomorrow because that's the way that black folks are." I said, "As much as you love me Seth, I have never been to your home, but if you invite me to your home and I took a shower, I'm going to clean up everything real neatly. When I leave, your family is going to say, 'That man is really neat.' But if I'm over at my brother's house, he might say, 'Man why didn't you pick up the wash cloth? Why didn't you fold the towel properly?' That's how we know each other. That's not a racist decision; it's a race conscious decision. I can get along with that young man [Kerry Davis] and he will be a fool not to listen to me. What I can do for him is escalate his image here with HBO with one of the best fighters in the world, but I care not to talk to a man [Lou DiBella] that may say the wrong things out of his mouth and this will end this whole relationship."

That's why Lou DiBella don't like Murad Muhammad. He tries to say its money and all of that, but listen, if a man is hungry and he goes in a bakery and steals a bun, I'm quite sure the judge will give him some mercy, but you don't go and shoot him in the head for a damn 10 cent bun. So that's what they tried to do to me. This man tried to take something that he thought would stick and run around and say to the whole boxing world, listen to his words, "I will slay him and he will never promote in his life." That's a powerful statement from a pea brain. He ain't got that kind of power, but he makes people think he has that power.

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK FOR PART 13 (OH YES...THERE'S MORE) AS MUHAMMAD REVEALS MUCH MORE ABOUT HIS YEARS AS HIS PROMOTER

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