Manny Pacquiao - Ricky Hatton Purse Spat Facts

Here are the facts you may want to know if you are either one of Manny Pacquiao or Ricky Hatton' s negotiators:

Upcoming lucrative fights

Pacquiao has Mayweather and possibly Cotto. Hatton has Juan Manuel Marquez however Marquez isn't a huge PPV draw. He only thinks he is but he isn't.

Pay Per View Record (Fights on PPV)
Manny Pacquiao 6 - 1 (4 KOS)
Ricky Hatton 0-1 (via KO)

Supposed leverage
Hatton - could attract 30,000 English fans
Pacquiao could attract the same no. esp. if the fight is held in San Francisco or Los Angeles (credit John Chavez)

Pacquiao is the Top Fighter in the World and No.1 in Pound for Pound Rankings (demoted by BoxingRec to No.11 after his demolishing of Oscar De La Hoya which goes to show TURDS run BoxingRec).

Hatton has been using record British PPV buys after his match with Mayweather. Boxingscene reported 1.2 -1.4 million buys for Sky Box Office in the UK alone. In the US, the fight had 850,000 buys. According to fightopinion.com (an MMA site) the buy rate didn't match the expectations.

The Mayweather-De La Hoya PPV drew a reported buyrate of 2.5 million customers. 60% of 2.5 million buys would be 1.5 million buys. The reported buyrate of 850,000 for Mayweather-Hatton would equal 34% of the business (or around one-third) that the 5/5/07 fight did in Las Vegas.

Given the level of hype and expectations by all parties involved going into the fight, the 850,000 PPV buyrate number is way below business expectations.

In a separate interview, Pacquiao said he has received the word that former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. is interested in coming out of retirement to fight him.

"Mayweather's camp is making an appeal, they're talking to us. They've talked to my attorney and told him that they're interested in the fight so we're listening to them," he said.

During the Dream Match negotiations, Manny Pacquiao wasn't happy with the revenue split and rejected Oscar De La Hoya's proposal. Pacquiao's rejection was so powerful it even stunned Espn writer Dan Rafael who observed that this must be the first time in a long time De La Hoya is getting a dose of his own medicine. It was only after De La Hoya gave in that Manny agreed to fight him. Manny isn't afraid of Hatton - supposed verbal agreement isn't enough. Why would Hatton reportedly sue? Because he hasn't have many options. Make no mistake about it - Manny will not agree to anything if he doesn't like it. He rejected De La Hoya before the undisputed box office king of Boxing. Manny Pacquiao knows he has many aces up his sleeve. Who has the leverage now?

It seems Hatton's lawyers doesn't know a verbal contract and a business proposal.

The verbal contract that the Hitman camp is talking about does not exist. The 50/50 sharing as agreed upon by Arum and the lawyer of Hatton is the "agreed" upon financial reward of the fight pending the signature of Manny Pacquiao. As such, it only becomes official upon affixing Pacquiao's signature which will become enforceable and binding. Since Pacquiao has NOT signed it yet, then it is not binding. Any negotiation entered into by Bob Arum in behalf of Pacquiao is only enforceable after Pacquiao signs it. It is just a mere "business proposal" subject to the acceptance and signature of the major party involved. SO IT IS IN NO WAY A VERBAL CONTRACT OR A BINDING CONTRACT. WHAT ARUM AND HATTON LAWYER AGREED UPON WAS A BUSINESS PROPOSAL, A PROPOSAL FOR PACQUIAO TO ACCEPT OR REJECT IT. PACQUIAO DOESN'T WANT THE PROPOSAL SO HE REJECTS IT. HE WANTS SOME MINOR CHANGES BEFORE HE SIGNS IT. PACQUIAO OFFERS A COUNTERPROPOSAL. NOW IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT, TO HELL WITH ALL OF THEM. MANNY CAN CHOOSE HIS OPPONENT AND EARN THE SAME AMOUNT.

Gil P. Acosta - Philboxing.com