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Bob Arum: Pacquiao-Roach payment issue “a non-issue”

Fighters Network
12
Jul
We got another installment in the “is there trouble in Pacman paradise” saga Tuesday, with Manny Pacquiao saying that he and his trainer hadn’t yet been paid by Top Rank for his unanimous-decision loss to Jeff Horn on July 5 in Australia.
Today we reached promoter Bob Arum, who told us that the issue is a non-issue. The Las Vegas-based deal-maker explained.
“We’d been sending emails, a bunch, to Team Pacquiao to tell us where to wire the money,” he said. “They didn’t respond until today (Wednesday). Once we got the response, we wired the money!”
Trainer Freddie Roach got the ball rolling on the issue when he wondered to Sports Illustrated whether Manny was irked at him because the fighter hadn’t paid him. Manny then spoke up and said Top Rank needed to cut Freddie a check.
“The fight was in Australia, it wasn’t a fight that happened in Las Vegas,” said Arum, explaining why fighter and trainer were getting antsy for their money. “We had to get money wired from where it was made, in Australia. And as soon as we did, we did our fiduciary responsibily, which was to find out where to wire it to.
“It was a non issue,” Arum said. “I blame Freddie for opening his mouth for no reason.”
Arum said an arrangement had been made to pay Roach through his agent, Nick Khan. Khan, Arum told me, told Top Rank to send a check to Freddie, rather than send the money by wire.
“We sent a check to Freddie this morning, by FedEx, and he got it this morning,” Arum said.  “Freddie knew we were dealing with Nick Khan! All of this is truly, truly a non-issue. Everybody has the money they are entitled to, end of the story!”

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