Story & Photos By Joe Rein
Fightworld.us, Exec. Editor

Seeing Manny Pacquiao in the last few days of training at the Wild Card Gym for his Pay-Per-View junior lightweight match-up with Eric Morales on March 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it was as if a royalty was in attendance.   The modest space throbbed with what looked like the better part of Manila, and every other fighter and trainer sought a breathe of air, like commuters on a rush-hour train.

In the swirl of activity, Murad Muhammad, Pacquiao’s promoter, sat intent against the side wall watching Manny spar, no more than 15 feet from Pac’s trainer, Freddie Roach, at the front desk.  It might just as well have been 15 miles.  The enmity between the two was so thick; you could have cut it with a knife.  

On Pac’s final day of sparring, with Raymondo Beltran and Jose Santa Cruz, he fine-tuned his tools at half speed; letting his hands go, gauging accuracy and timing.  It was all working, like calibrating a fine timepiece.  

Just as modifications were made in Team Pacquiao since the Marquez fight, Roach worked tirelessly with Pacquiao to sharpen the moves he’d need to overcome Morales’ style.  

No video shooting of his sparring was allowed. Former fighters and now trainers at Wild Card, Macka Foley, Justin Fortune, and Eric Brown, scanned the room like Secret Service agents, fixing anyone suspicious with a glare: “Put it away, now!”  It was so congested, anyone seeking a better vantage point looked like a Salmon swimming up stream. 

Pacquiao’s only 27, but he defines grace under pressure.  This is the biggest fight of his life, and he has to stay focused.  But, even while sparring, hitting bags and doing floor work, it’s not hard to see why he’s the soul of the Philippines. He acknowledged the waves and shouts of his countrymen with a welcoming grin. 

After dressing in sweats, Pacquiao held court the way Ray Robinson did -- the center of a sea of reporters and adoring fans -- endlessly signing autographs, and taking pictures, with good humor. When he moved, they moved  -- like planets around the sun. 

If Pacquiao’s learned as much in this training camp as he has outside, Morales may be in for an even bigger headache than he imagined.  Only months ago, Pacquiao could barely get out an English word.  But he stood confident in the Wild Card doorway, announcing to all, like Gen. MacCarthur at Corregidor, in affect, “I will be back…with a victory!” in flawless English. 

If Pac beats Morales, with his smile, electrifying style, and growing comfort with English, the money he’s imagined might only be a fraction of what he’ll see as a crossover attraction, like Oscar De La Hoya. 

When Manny’s team and supporters funneled out of the gym, I spoke to Roach.  

FR: Manny’s big enough where he doesn’t really need a promoter right now.  Shelly will do what he does with Mike Tyson: pay somebody a flat fee to put the fight on.  You put Manny and Barrera together in the re-match; that sells itself. 

Q: So, you get somebody who understands the nuts and bolts, but Shelly’s really putting it together? 

FR: Yes, of course. When Tyson fights, Shelly hires somebody to put the show on and he pays them $300,000 – nothing outrageous, but fair. Everyone’s happy.  The fighter gets the bigger end of the money.  That’s the way it should be.  That’s who the people are coming to see. 

Q: Why’d you initiate this?  

FR: I just do my job.  I train Manny.  Manny asked me for help, so I gave him help.  He wanted me to put a team together, so I did that.  Him and Shelly Finkel spoke.  They liked each other, and they did a deal.  Manny’s very happy with the new team…He’s got the lawyers looking out for him.  I concentrate on my job; I know everything else is covered right now. 

Q: Right now, meaning what? 

FR: Murad Muhammad is the promoter right now…but what does he really do?  This is a Bob Arum promotion; Bob Arum’s the lead promoter in this fight.  All Murad’s doing is bringing Manny Pacquiao to the table, because he has him under contract.  We’ll see after the fight what happens…if that contract is still valid. 

Q: Why do you feel so strongly? 

FR: I hate when anybody steals money off fighters; I was a fighter myself one time. 

Q: Give us an example? 

FR:  Before Manny signed his last contract with Murad, Bob Arum called me up and he negotiated this deal with me:  It’s the exact same pay day we’re making now: a guarantee, plus 40% of the upside (after the break-even of the PPV money).  The upside was going 100% to Manny.  But now the upside is going to Murad Muhammad.   

If the upside is $5, I want Manny to get the $5.  He’s the one putting his life on the line. 

Q: By making this deal with Finkel, do you profit? 

FR: My deal with Manny is the same as it’s always been. It’s never been changed, ever since I took him on for the Ladwaba fight.   He’s always been very fair with me.  I don’t need to make any extra money off these guys.  I told Shelly, I just want you to be honest with him and give him what he’s supposed to get. 

Q: What kind of money are we talking about? 

FR: The upside could be up to $3 million, if it does as well as Barrera-Morales did, and I think it will do better than that.  In my opinion, that’s not the promoter’s money; that’s Manny’s money.  People are paying to see him.  The promoter, obviously, deserves to get something, but not more than the fighter. 

Q:  How do you and Murad exist together? 

FR: Murad Muhammad comes to my gym.  He’ll say ‘Hi’ to me and I’ll say ‘Hi” to him – that’s all there is to it.  I don’t think there’s any love lost between us.  He knows I don’t like him, and I know he doesn’t like me. 

He told me he’s coming after me, and stuff like that.  Well, come on, if you’re coming – cause I’m right here!  I have no problem with that.  He wants to come after me; what’s that mean?  Does he want to physically come after me?  Any way!