Pettines can derail Pacquiao’s bid

By Al S. Mendoza

YOU earn nearly $20 million in one night.

But you refuse to pay $30,000.

Plus, another $100,000.

What does that make of you? Or, how do we properly label you?

Silas Marner reincarnate?

I don’t know if Manny Pacquiao has paid the $30,000 he owed the World Boxing Council (WBC).

Or, if he has also settled the $100,000 the WBC has demanded from him.

As we went to press, the WBC claimed Pacquiao has not paid the $30,000 he owed the boxing body from Pacquiao’s fight with David Diaz some three months back. (Pacquiao knocked Diaz out in the 9th round to capture the WBC 135-lb title.)

In the scheduled December 6 (December 7 in Manila) fight with Oscar De La Hoya, the WBC said Pacquiao has yet to pay the $100,000 as sanction fee.

As the WBC champion, Pacquiao, under WBC rules as claimed by WBC president Jose Sulaiman, has to pay the amountto keep his world crown intact.

Since the Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight in the catch-weight 147 lbs is a non-title bout, Sulaiman said Pacquiao has to pay a sanction fee as per WBC rules.

“The challengers of Pacquaio will suffer in this Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight because they will wait longer for a crack at Pacquiao’s title,” said Sulaiman. “Meantime, the WBC gets the flak with Pacquiao not defending his crown soon.”

Sulaiman also said that after De La Hoya, another fight is being scheduled for Pacquiao against either Ricky Hatton or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I love Pacquiao, he is a wonderful fighter and a great person,” said Sulaiman. “But if he treats us in the WBC as second-class citizens, then we will have to enforce the rules on him.”

I hope that Pacquiao settles the $130,000 he owes the WBC so that he can keep his world title belt in the 135-lb division.

Not only that.

If Pacquiao settles his accounts without any fuss, it will add up to his legend.

He’ll look more pogi, di ba?

I believe Sulaiman when he said, “Pacquiao could well be ill-advised that’s why he’s been acting strange these days.”

That’s what usually happens when one has become a celebrity.

Pacquiao is now surrounded by people of different inclinations-and interests. Some hangers-on are there merely to fleece the champ, butter up to him.

I don’t like what Pacquiao’s lawyer had done, which was to write the WBC to clarify the $130,000.

Petty, to say the least.

You are a world champ, you have millions of dollars in the bank, and you question why you need to pay some loose change?

If I were Pacquiao, I’d immediately pay that $130,000 and apologize to Sulaiman. Next, I’d fire that lawyer.

Of all things, the last thing a champ needs is a useless baggage when a fight is near.

A little distraction can cause an irreparable damage.

(Readers may reach columnist at alsol47@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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