Top Rank-Golden Boy settlement

Top Rank-Golden Boy settlement
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
June 29, 2007

Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera will fight at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Oct. 6 after a lawsuit over Pacquiao's rights between boxing's most powerful promotional companies was settled on Friday.

Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank have agreed to settle their federal lawsuit and will co-promote the highly anticipated super-featherweight rematch.

As part of the settlement, Golden Boy and Top Rank will co-promote all Pacquiao bouts in which Pacquiao is facing another Golden Boy fighter. In bouts in which Pacquiao will be fighting someone not under contract to Golden Boy, the fight will be promoted by Top Rank but Golden Boy will have an interest in it.

Golden Boy signed Pacquiao to a promotional contract on Sept. 18, just hours after he arrived in Los Angeles following an 18-hour flight from his home in the Philippines.

Pacquiao was coming to the U.S. to train for a Top Rank-promoted fight with Erik Morales when he was met at Los Angeles International Airport by Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya. According to sworn testimony given during a deposition by Freddie Roach, who trains both fighters, De La Hoya gave Pacquiao a suitcase filled with money as they met in the back of a limousine.

De La Hoya denied personally giving the suitcase with money to Pacquiao, but didn't dispute that it occurred.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum argued that Golden Boy had no right to sign Pacquiao, alleging that Top Rank's contract with Pacquiao for the Nov. 18, 2006 rubber match with Morales precluded him from signing with another promoter.

I think Arum & De La Hoya have surpassed Don king as the dirtiest promoters in boxing.