Manny Pacquiao to earn $6 million less in Timothy Bradley rematch
Manny Pacquiao will still be on the A-side of his rematch against WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. However, the eight-division world champion will be making less money compared to their first fight.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told Ring Magazine’s Lem Satterfield that Pacquiao will earn a guaranteed $20 million, down from the $26 he earned when he lost a controversial decision to Bradley in 2012.
"I'm happy that Bradley agreed to fight me a second time," said Pacquiao, in a statement to RingTV.com. "This will be a different fight. I will get back from me what he took from me in this last fight."
In a separate interview with PhilBoxing’s Eddie Alinea, Pacquiao said that he is anxious for the rematch.
“Now I will have that opportunity to prove once and for all that I won that fight as everyone acknowledged, except for the two judges who voted for (Bradley),” he said.
In the same interview, Pacquiao added that he is looking at a 10-week training camp to prepare for the rematch starting mid-February. Half of the camp will be spent in General Santos City and half at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles.
“We’ve already woken up from the nightmare that was 2012. Lessons were learned from that experience and I won’t let myself dig that same hole again,” Pacquiao said in Filipino.
Pacquiao, however, ins't the only one taking a pay cut.
Immediately after Pacquiao-Bradley 1, Arum told his prized fighter the he will need to take a pay cut to get a rematch. Arum estimated that Bradley will ask for an eight-figure paycheck before he fights Pacquiao again.
But things didn’t go as planned for the undefeated American. He had trouble finding an opponent; finally settling with then little-known Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia before fighting Juan Manuel Marquez.
For the rematch, Bradley will get $6 million, a million less than what he got in the first fight.
In the interview with Satterfield, Bradley noted that he split with long-time manager Cameron Dunkin and that his wife now manages his career.
"My wife is a very smart woman, and she's been very important through these negotiations. She's now looking after my career and over my career. It's a beautiful thing," said Bradley. "We're a great, great team. I'm blessed to have a great wife and a great family and also a great promoter. This was for my family, and Top Rank is definitely looking after me. I feel that I won't get this type of deal that I have anywhere else."
Bradley also explained that at this point in his career, the $6 million dollar purse he will get is his best option even if it’s lower than what he got in the first fight.
"I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to stay in the game. But for right now, we do have an extension clause in the contract. I'm taking it day-by-day," said Bradley. "They gave me everything I asked for. I'm not going to get this kind of a deal anywhere else. I'm satisfied and ready to move forward with my career and to fight Manny Pacquiao again."
