The much anticipated boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton which was unilaterally called off by the Hatton camp earlier is going to happen after all.
The contract has been signed by Manny Pacquiao and forwarded to Top Rank’s Bob Arum who is promoting the Pacquiao-Hatton match together with Golden Boy Promotions represented by its CEO Richard Schaefer, representing Hatton. Schaefer is expecting the copy of the contract anytime for Hatton’s signature.
The Pacquiao-Hatton bout, considered to be the biggest boxing event of the year, appeared scuttled earlier in the week because of Pacquiao’s refusal to sign the contract based on the 50-50 split sharing proposal by the Hatton camp. Pacquiao said that he should get a bigger portion of the revenue pie because of his recent winning record which included his knock out victory over Oscar de la Hoya late last year.
Philboxing.com reported today that Manny Pacquiao accepted a slight advantage in the sharing of the PPV proceeds at 52-48 in favor of Pacquiao with a $12 million guarantee.
‘Manny Pacauiao is the most exciting, charismatic athlete in the world today. He has millions of fans worldwide’, Top Rank Chief Bob Arum said in Los Angeles where he is promoting the Mosley-Margarito fight to be held at the Staples Center today. ‘Now he has a new challenge in facing a champion in Ricky Hatton’, he added.
After the Mosley-Margarito match, Bob Arum is expected to fly to the Philippines to confer with the Pacquiao camp and to promote the fight.
Hatton is expected to bring again to the US as he did in his last two fights, the thousands of his British fans who supported him by their singing and chanting during the fight.
Ricky Hatton is England’s most popular boxer today. He remained undefeated until he lost to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. via a 10th round knock out in December 2007. Last year he fought with US boxer Paulie Malignaggi and won easily.
Manny Pacquiao is presently the best pound-for-pound boxer and the most popular in the world. He is fresh from a knock out win over Oscar de la Hoya last December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Before his fight with de la Hoya, Pacquiao captured the lightweight championship crown by knocking out David Diaz last year.
Pacquiao and Hatton are scheduled to travel next month to New York and other key cities of the US including a trip to England by Pacquiao to promote the fight.