BACOLOD CITY, Philippines?Manny Pacquiao on Saturday rejected a fresh proposal for a 52-48 revenue sharing with British superstar Ricky Hatton in their 140-lb battle in May.
And the latest twist in the negotiations could open the door for Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose handlers, Pacquiao disclosed, have been communicating with his camp for a possible match that could lure the former pound-for-pound king out of his retirement.
But Pacquiao isn?t about to give up on the Hatton fight just yet.
?Kita mo, nagbago din sila (You see, they changed their minds),? Pacquiao said with a laugh as if to stress that he is still the draw in this planned super fight pitting the world?s top pound-for-pound fighter against the king of the junior welterweight division.
?Hindi pa din kami magkasundo. Wala pa kaming final decision. Maybe may adjustment pa on their part. (We still haven?t agreed to anything yet. We haven?t made a final decision. There might be adjustments on their part).?
He added: ?Hindi tayo pwedeng magulangan ng mga dayuhan. (We can?t let these foreigners put one over us.)?
Pacquiao, though, wore a sheepish smile when asked if he was amenable to a 55 percent share of the fight and pay-per-view revenues, an idea which was broached by his American trainer Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao, who had demanded for a 60-40 sharing, said he is considering his trainer?s proposal during a press conference before the opening of the Smart-Abap National Amateur Boxing Championships here.
Pacquiao said a final decision on the fight will be known as early as next week, though his business manager Eric Pineda, in a separate interview, claimed that the Filipino champion has set a deadline for the negotiations on the first week of February.
?Maybe Monday, we will have a decision or within next week,? the 30-year-old Pacquiao said.
The Hatton camp and Pacquiao?s promoter Bob Arum had agreed verbally to an equal sharing for the British Hitman and the Filipino idol late last month, after Pacquiao demolished American star Oscar De La Hoya.
