Megabuck deal up for Manny

NEW YORK — Uncrowned world featherweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao emerged from a two-hour meeting with Home Box Office (HBO) cable network officials wearing a million-dollar smile here yesterday.

Pacquiao and business manager Rod Nazario were accompanied by US promoter Murad Muhammad and M&M Sports executive vice president Ronald Salahuddin in cranking out a multi-fight package deal with HBO president for sports Ross Greenburg, vice president for sports Kery Davis and vice president for programming Xavier James.

No terms of the agreement were disclosed but Muhammad confided it was in seven figures, meaning Pacquiao is assured of at least a $1 Million payday starting with a May 22 fight against International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight titleholder Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

There were no documents signed during the meeting on the 14th floor of the HBO headquarters. But Muhammad said a meeting of the minds was reached after Pacquiao and Nazario gave their go-signal to arrange the fight against Marquez then, possibly an October bout against Erik Morales assuming he dethrones World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Jesus Chavez in Las Vegas on Feb. 28.

Muhammad said HBO has made "a moral commitment" to build Pacquiao into a marquee fighter in the mold of an Oscar de la Hoya but the Filipino southpaw has to earn the billing and show loyalty to the network for its support.

Pacquiao and Nazario said they were satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations. "Masaya kami," said Pacquiao. "Nagkakaintindihan kaming lahat." Nazario said the deal could extend up to three fights.

It was a historic meeting in that according to Muhammad, HBO had never before been involved in negotiations directly with a fighter. Muhammad insisted on Pacquiao and Nazario participating in the talks in the spirit of transparency and full disclosure.

Before the meeting, an HBO crew filmed footage of Pacquiao walking up a Times Square sidewalk. Pacquiao wore a scarf, a No Fear cap, a long-sleeved shirt and a woolen overcoat. The clip will be used to promote Pacquiao’s May 22 bout, which will be held in San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Muhammad said he’s 99 percent sure Marquez will be Pacquiao’s next opponent. "Now that I’ve got Pop’s go-signal, I will negotiate with (Bob) Arum and work out the contract," he added. Pop is Muhammad’s nickname for Nazario. Arum is Marquez’ US promoter.

Muhammad and Arum will co-promote the fight on HBO.

Muhammad confided he could’ve picked an easier opponent like Paulie Ayala or Oscar Larios but his idea is to bring back world recognition for Pacquiao. If Pacquiao beats Marquez, he will inherit both the IBF and WBA belts in the 126-pound division. Then the next step will be to challenge Morales in a plan that’s laid out for HBO to project Pacquiao as a new boxing legend.

"Manny’s a potential star," said Davis. "What we like about him is he fights with passion. He’s like a smaller version of a Roberto Duran and Tito Trinidad. Inside the ring, he communicates with the fans by fighting in his exciting style, never mind if he doesn’t speak English fluently yet. We love the way he fights. The energy he brings to the ring is contagious. He always steps up to the challenge. We’re excited to keep putting Manny on HBO. We think he’s got what it takes to become a big star. But he’s got to earn it. We’re aware of the excellent track record of Murad and Rod so we’re confident he’s going to go places."

Muhammad said he’s convinced Pacquiao will blossom into another de la Hoya.

"Manny can be a multi-million dollar fighter if he does things right," noted Muhammad. "He can rise to pay-per-view status where he can lose and still make millions. In de la Hoya’s case, his image is now bigger than his talent."

Muhammad pointed out that while Showtime and ESPN are cutting back on boxing budgets, HBO continues to be bullish about the sport. "HBO is looking to fill its calendar and we want to be a priority in the schedule," he went on. "But HBO wants no scandals, no law suits, no controversies surrounding its fighters."

Muhammad said recent rumors claiming he shortchanged Pacquiao in the Barrera fight set back his HBO schedule by six months.

"Pop and Manny knew what the numbers were all along," he stressed. "A boxing union called JAB with over 100 fighters examined my contracts with Manny and found nothing wrong. I’ve put over 1,000 fights on TV and I’ve gone to court only four times. I stand by my integrity. My father told me our family name is worth more than gold. I will never tarnish my reputation for honesty."

Muhammad invited Pacquiao and Nazario to meet the HBO officials face-to face to assure the executives they work as a team, they are transparent in their dealings and they are men of their word.