Pacquiao to Hatton - 'You called me out.' (merged)
Posted: 22 Jan 2009, 09:00
http://timesonline.typepad.com/boxing/2 ... .html#more
Pacquiao still wants Hatton
Manny Pacquiao says he still wants to face Ricky Hatton. The WBC lightweight champion spoke on Thursday from the Philippines the day after his bout with Hatton, scheduled for May 2 in Las Vegas, was effectively called off.
Pacquiao, who is rated as the pound-for-pound No 1 in the world after beating Oscar De La Hoya last month said he believed the Hattons were bluffing when they claimed they had several other potential bouts in the pipeline and he accused Richard Schaefer, the chief executive of Golden Boy, Hatton's promoters, of being a bad businessman.
"They were quoted as saying that if I do not sign their contract, they already have offers for them to fight in the British Isles with 80,000 people watching," Pacquiao said. "Now, it is obvious that they were just bluffing. Now, they are saying, they will fight De La Hoya. Then, they are also calling out Floyd Mayweather. I say, Schaefer is a bad businessman."
Hatton had agreed a contract with Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, for a 50-50 split of proceeds from the bout. But it then became clear that Pacquiao wanted a bigger split.
"I hope they get the same or a better deal when they face Mayweather, who beat and knocked them out in 2007," Pacquiao said. "I hope they get to fight De La Hoya and also get the same or better deal. Hatton's last fight against Malignaggi wasn't a pay-per-view success. Not to make a big deal out of it, Hatton also faced a Juan Lazcano who was no longer in his prime, previous to that fight.
"I want to fight Ricky Hatton if the terms are right and fair. Modesty aside, I did not become the best pound-for-pound fighter by fighting patsies on my way to the top. I beat Oscar De La Hoya when he said he was still on top of his game. I proved I can fight at any weight level and I won two different titles in two different divisions, also, last year. Now, I say to Ricky Hatton, king of the 140 pound division, 'Let's get it on,' without the middlemen. You called me out, now I say we fight."
There were money disputes ahead of Pacquiao's bout with De La Hoya, with Pacquiao eventually ending up with the short end of a 68-32 split.
Schafer was quoted yesterday as blaming Pacquiao for the breakdown. "When you beat the man, you think you are the man," he said. "Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and as his co-promoter (with a small percentage) we are proud of him. But he thinks by beating Oscar that he is Oscar and he is not Oscar. It's unbelievable. Manny is losing a huge, huge payday."
"What Schaefer failed to consider is the fact that I am not fighting De La Hoya in this match. There is no more rematch," Pacquiao said. "Now, they have to put their facts right."
Meanwhile, Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's manager, has claimed that Mayweather is not considering a return to the ring. "Floyd's retired, and he's staying retired," Ellerbe told the Las Vegas Review Journal. "We haven't had any conversations with Hatton or Golden Boy."
POSTED AT 12:29 PM IN RICKY HATTON | PERMALINK
