Who is Murad Muhammad?

International Boxing Federation (IBF) superbantamweight champion Manny Pacquiao has decided to stick it out with the New Jersey promoter who set up his title shot in Las Vegas last year. More than an expression of gratitude, the decision was based on solid dollars and cents.

Murad Muhammad, president of M&M Sports, got Pacquiao’s nod after tendering a $2.5 Million, eight-fight, 2 1/2 year offer. Former Home Box Office (HBO) vice-president Lou DiBella bid the same amount but his contract was for nine bouts in three years. In Muhammad’s deal, Pacquiao pockets the same amount in one less fight and in six less months.

The money is a minimum figure and could increase, depending on Pacquiao’s progress as a marquee fighter. He’s expected to bankroll at least $200,000 in his next defense, against either Fahprakob Rakkiat-gym of Thailand or Oscar Larios of Mexico. Pacquiao’s business manager Rod Nazario is studying the feasibility of staging the fight here or in Saipan even as a slot is being dangled in the undercard of World Boxing Council (WBC) superbantamweight titlist Willie Jorrin’s proposed defense against Marco Antonio Barrera in an HBO show.

San Francisco-based lawyer Sydney Hall introduced Muhammad to Nazario last year. It all started when Nazario took Pacquiao to San Francisco then Los Angeles, looking for a US promoter to take a chance on the hard-hitting General Santos City southpaw. Hall had previously arranged for Gerry Peñalosa to train at Roy Jones’ camp in Pensacola, Florida, where Muhammad is a frequent visitor.

When challenger Enrique Sanchez backed out of a match against IBF 122-pound champion Lehlo Ledwaba, Muhammad offered the slot to Pacquiao on a few weeks notice. It was the break that Pacquiao and Nazario had prayed for. Pacquiao stopped Ledwaba in six to wrest the IBF crown in June last year.

For arranging the title crack, Muhammad gained the option to promote Pacquiao’s first two defenses. Nazario also assured Muhammad–verbally–he would be given top priority to promote Pacquiao’s third defense upon the expiration of their original contract.

Muhammad’s prized catches are Jones, Pacquaio, World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight king Derrick (Smoke) Gainer, and IBF featherweight titleholder Johnny Tapia. He also manages former WBC lightmiddleweight ruler Javier Castillejo of Spain, superfeatherweight Daniel Attah, and cruiserweight Ezra Sellers.

Believe it or not, Muhammad was one of Muhammad Ali’s bodyguards in the early to mid-1970s. After observing the ins and outs of the fight game as an insider in Ali’s entourage, Muhammad decided to try promoting in 1976. He called himself "the fresh alternative to Don King and Bob Arum." Instead of locking horns with the bigwigs in the heavyweight division, Muhammad concentrated on establishing control of the lightheavyweight class. He introduced boxing to HBO in 1978 when cameras rolled inside Rahway Prison for a bout between Eddie Gregory, later known as Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and inmate James Scott.

Gregory became Muhammad’s first world champion. Others included Dwight Braxton, later Dwight Muhammad Qawi, and Matthew Saad Muhammad. They were all lightheavyweights.

In 1983, Muhammad persuaded heavyweight Larry Holmes to join the IBF and promoted his fights against Scott Frank, Marvis Frazier and Carl Williams.

It was rumored that Muhammad invested in the IBF with pal, former president Bobby Lee who has since been disgraced on corruption charges. Curiously, the IBF is now headed by Muhammad’s ex-wife Marian.

According to syndicated Talk America Radio Network host Pedro Fernandez, Muhammad was exposed in 1995 for involvement in forging heavyweight Razor Ruddock’s signature on a fight contract. Fernandez said a Federal Court Judge ordered Muhammad to pay for legal fees and even airline tickets after the forgery was confirmed.

But during the investigations into the IBF bribery scandal three years ago, Muhammad was never accused of graft. Muhammad was quoted by Dominic Calder-Smith of Boxing News (July 12, 2002) as saying, "Of the top five promoters in the world, I was the only one not brought in to testify in court about corruption in boxing." Of course, the premise was Muhammad is one of the world’s top five boxing promoters.

Muhammad added, "I was told by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) I was the cleanest man in boxing. They had nothing on me. I even felt a little bit slighted no one even wanted to hear my opinions on the subject."

Muhammad explained that his business strategies are basically long- term and said what separates him from his rivals is his creativity. He cited the example of Ruddock whom he inserted in the undercard of a Mike Tyson fight in 1990. Ruddock agreed to a $50,000 purse–much less than what he had been paid previously–for the exposure. Ruddock put on a sensational performance and went on to fight Tyson for $3.5 Million and $7.5 Million in a rematch.

It was the same strategy that Muhammad used for Pacquiao in his last fight. Pacquiao got less that what he was paid in his previous bout but was exposed to millions of viewers all over the world because he fought in the Lennox Lewis-Tyson undercard.

Muhammad told Calder-Smith: "I have a good name. The fighter is everything to me so the image of a promoter taking advantage of a fighter just doesn’t apply to me. I do everything in my power to maximaze all opportunities for my fighters. I’ve never abused a fighter. I believe in giving a fighter everything he deserves. Fighters need to hire people with proven track records, who are successful with and good at investing money. It’s too late to help fighters when their careers are over. You need to catch them early and explain to them that even though they’re the Chairman of the Board, they still need a good team around them."

Pacquiao’s decision to terminate manager Marty Elorde in siding with Nazario is a vote of confidence for Muhammad.

If Muhammad is to be believed, he’s the best thing that ever happened to Pacquiao.