By ADRIAN STEWART CO
MANILA – Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao was advised to first settle his lawsuit with Paradigm Sports Management (PSM) before accepting any tune-up fight offer.
According to Luis “Chavit” Singson, it is high time for the retired boxer to reach out to people hurt by his decision not to fight under the PSM brand despite their signed agreement.
“I think he really needs to fix his pending court case with Paradigm Sports Management first before accepting any tune-up fights,” the 81-year-old Singson said.
Pacquiao, a losing presidential candidate in the recent polls, was sued by PSM of CEO Audie Attar before the Superior Court of California for alleged breach of contract last year.
PSM is seeking to recover $3.3 million it claims it paid Pacquiao in advance for a fight PSM is eyeing for the boxer. The court case remains ongoing in California.
“He really needs to settle all those problems — not only the court case but also his other concerns to other people — so that he can get a good tune-up fight,” Singson said. “If there’s no hindrance, that would be nice.”
Pacquiao, a former senator, recently agreed to face South Korean YouTuber DK Yoo in an exhibition match sometime in December in Seoul, South Korea.
Taekwondo living legend Monsour del Rosario, for his part, advised Pacquiao to fight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Conor McGregor whether it’s exhibition or a real fight instead of Yoo.
“I believe if the fight pushes through, Pacquiao will earn a lot of money especially if it will be held in the US or in any place in the world where people can go and watch the fight,” Del Rosario said.
“But I hope everything will be settled for Manny’s own good because he’s like a brother to me,” he added. “I agree also that Manny should settle his problem first with Paradigm for his own good as well.”/PN
