WBC's Sulaiman to Pacquiao: Pay up or lose title

CHENG DU, CHINA- Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao must cough up $30,000 within the next 15 days or be stripped of his World Boxing Council lightweight title, the WBC said on Thursday.

The boxing body's governors, meeting in Cheng Du, are demanding the fighter pay sanctioning fees they say he owes, or they will take his belt.

"Manny Pacquiao is a great champion and the pride of the WBC. But he believes he is the ruler of the organization and that is not going to happen," WBC President Jose Sulaiman told Reuters.

"If he doesn't want to do it, he goes his way and we go our way. He has made a fortune with the WBC. He became famous fighting WBC Champions like Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales and now he's trying to kick us in the back and send us home. We cannot do that.

"I am very disappointed because he's a friend, he is the hero of President Arroyo and of the whole country of the Philippines, and I feel very bad because of the way that we've been treated. But the phone is there and the door is open."

The WBC is also insisting Pacquiao pay $100,000 within 15 days of his anticipated fight against Oscar de la Hoya or face the same punishment. That non-title fight is scheduled for Dec. 6.

It was not clear, however, if the WBC has received request from any party to stop the Pacquaio-de la Hoya bout.

Pacman lawyer: no info yet on sanction fee

Pacquiao’s lawyer Jeng Gacal, meanwhile, said they have not received any word from WBC regarding the sanction fees.

“Never naman nagkaroon si Manny ng problem sa pagbayad ng sanction fee. So if it is true na hindi pa siya nakabayad ay Manny will pay it for sure,” Gacal said.

He is even puzzled how the media got hold of the information first.

“Nakakapagtataka dahil hindi naman ito WBC fight at hindi title fight ... so unless may malaking rason, wala talagang sanction fee ito,” said Gacal.

Pacquiao earlier refused to relinquish his WBC 135-lb title which he won after knocking out David Diaz in June 2008.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the Filipino fighter may end up defending his title depending on the results of his "Dream Match" against de la Hoya.

“If Manny loses, or even if he wins against Oscar, he can go down to 135 (pounds),” said Arum.

Under WBC rules, Pacquiao has one year to defend the title before it is given up in order to pave the way for a new champion.

However, Sulaiman voiced his opposition against the Pacquiao-de la Hoya Dream Match citing the “extreme differences in height and weight" between both fighters.

"He (Pacquiao) is not considering the serious differences where a lower weight beat a higher weight and in this case is not moving from one division to the next but from one to three more divisions," Sulaiman said.

Pacquiao stands 5' 6 1/2" while de la Hoya is four inches taller. With reports from Dyan Castillejo, Reuters and the Philippine Star

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/11/06/08/pay-pacquiao-or-be-stripped-title-wbcs-sulaiman-says

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