Fighthype.com reported yesterday that Franklin “Jeng” Gacal, long-time Filipino lawyer and Chief of Staff for Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao, wants to meet with Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. in an attempt to bring some clarity to the negotiations for a mega fight with Pacquiao.
A representative for Gacal contacted FightHype and mentioned in an email that Gacal would be in Vegas from December 30th to January 3rd in an attempt to “bring the truth back to MP [Manny Pacquiao], so MP will know it has been Koncz and Bob [Arum] blocking [the Mayweather fight] all along.”
Gacal has been critical of Arum in the past as it relates to his efforts of making the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight a reality.
Many believe that Arum is the one holding back the fight and that he has been the problem all along, and he certainly has a reputation for being difficult to work with. The hall of fame promoter has been a key element in preventing fights throughout his tenure, but he is also responsible for some of the best fights in the history of the sport.
Arum can’t shake off his reputation and no matter what he does some people will never trust him, but his intentions as it relates to making the Mayweather fight are clear. His intentions are only to get Pacquiao the best deal possible, it’s his job.
Arum is not preventing the mega fight from happening. Instead, he is trying to ensure that his fighter doesn’t get treated like other Mayweather opponents. So many people want Pacquiao and Arum to concede to Mayweather’s demands, as foolish as they seem, because they want to see the fight so badly.
However, Pacquiao is a star and this fight is as big as it is because he brings something to the table that other potential Mayweather opponents can’t. Arum’s job is to make sure that Pacquiao isn’t taken advantage of and that he gets his fair piece of what will become a historic payday for all involved (yes, that includes Arum).
Fans scoffed at the idea that Pacquiao reportedly turned down a flat purse offered to him by Mayweather. Then, Mayweather insisted that Pacquiao become a free agent and rid himself of Arum in order to secure the fight, and some people felt like Pacquiao should’ve agreed to both of these demands. That is completely unreasonable and it seems like just another excuse. Mayweather can’t dictate Pacquiao’s career and for him to claim that he won’t fight the fight because of Arum’s involvement is nonsensical.
Arum is being persecuted for his past, but his historical mistakes shouldn’t cloud the minds of fans that claim he is responsible for the fight not being signed and neither should the claims of radical power men throwing around outlandish claims without any actual evidence, at least this is how Arum feels.
When reached for comment, Arum assured Thaboxingvoice.com that Gacal is not privy to the information he claims to know.
“Oh come on, [Gacal] hasn’t been Pacquiao’s lawyer for ages, believe me, he’s totally out of the loop,” Arum said.
