Pacquiao-Hatton fight possible cancellation

The Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao vs Ricky "Hitman" Hatton fight in Las Vegas this coming 2nd May of this year may have a possibility of a cancellation. According to Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin Gacal, hinted that they will look for another opponent if the Filipino hero fails to get a 60 percent share for the fight.

The Hatton camp remains adamant of a 50-50 split, which it had verbally agreed to with Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Gacal said Arum is aware of Pacquiao’s opposition to the terms.

“We have informed Bob Arum that we are not signing the contract,” Gacal said in an interview with ABS-CBN.

“Manny is not content with what was laid on the table. If the figures won’t move, we will look for another [challenger].”

Pacquiao is coming off the biggest victory of his career—an eighth-round technical knockout of Oscar De La Hoya, the sport’s biggest draw, last Dec. 6.

In giving his blessing to a 50-50 split, Arum attributed Hatton’s huge British fan following which he said would contribute heavily to fight revenues.

“We might do a million homes on pay-per-view in England,” Arum said. “You have to give Hatton some credit for what he brings to the table.”

“We already have a verbal agreement from Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum that it would be 50-50 split for the contest,” Hatton’s lawyer, Gareth Williams told the British newspaper Daily Telegraph.

The purse stalemate isn’t the first time a snag has hit the 140-lb battle. Hatton’s camp had earlier insisted on holding the fight at London’s Wembley Stadium.

source: sports.inquirer.net