10 questions for Don Jose

WBC president Jose Sulaiman went overboard in casting doubt on Manny Pacquiao’s integrity by publicly disclosing what should be confidential money matters in front of an adoring and cheering audience of lapdogs during the governing body’s convention in Chengdu, China, a few days ago.

It was conduct unbecoming of a man of his stature. Sulaiman, 77, has been WBC president since 1975 and was just elected to an unprecedented ninth straight four-year term. His son Mauricio is being groomed to take over but he’ll wait his turn patiently. Sulaiman has made the WBC a family heirloom.

A source said at least 10 world champions are in the WBC books for unpaid sanction fees. Kelly Pavlik, for instance, hasn’t paid sanction fees for his last two title bouts. Interim superfeatherweight champion Humberto Soto is in the same boat. But Sulaiman chose to make a public example of Pacquiao because that would make more media impact than lowering the boom on a Pavlik or a Soto.

Former WBC secretary-general Rudy Salud said Sulaiman’s timing leaves a bad taste in the mouth because Pacquiao is only a month away from facing Oscar dela Hoya in the biggest fight of his career.

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If Sulaiman had money issues to settle with Pacquiao, he should’ve known better than to divulge the sordid details in public at a press conference. Or was it his crude way of putting pressure on Pacquiao who by the way, has nothing to do with paying sanction fees because that’s the promoter’s responsibility, not his?

Sulaiman showed disrespect not only to Pacquiao but the entire Filipino people. And not even his follow-up statement praising President Arroyo could erase the sting of his message.

If Sulaiman is hailed by his WBC minions as a demi-god, then he probably thinks he can do no wrong and whatever comes out of his mouth will be considered as gospel truth.

Here are 10 questions for Sulaiman to answer in the wake of his startling and ill-advised “expose:”

• Why only now? Sulaiman said Pacquiao owed the WBC a balance of $30,000 as sanction fee for the David Diaz fight. But a check on the records showed no balance for the Diaz fight. An accounting discrepancy, however, was noted in computing the sanction fee for the Juan Manuel Marquez bout last March.

• What is the basis of the assessment of $100,000? The WBC is charging Pacquiao a sanction fee of $100,000 for his non-title fight against Dela Hoya. Is that 1.5 percent of his purse? Sources in Pacquiao’s camp said 1.5 percent of his purse comes to less than $100,000.

• Has Pacquiao been billed for the balance? Nobody seems to know.

• If Manny is considered a hero by the WBC, why was he not given the courtesy of a private meeting to discuss his money issues? Sulaiman should’ve shown a little more respect for a hero from a Third World country.

• If the WBC once declared its primary aim is to sanction fights the public wants to see and money isn’t a primary concern, has greed overtaken this goal? Perhaps, the WBC should reevaluate its reason for existence – it exists for the fighters and the fans, not for its officials.

• Why is the WBC only considering the prestige it gives Pacquiao and not the other way around? Surely, Pacquiao has added to the WBC’s luster as a governing body in world boxing today.

• Why is Pacquiao being treated so shabbily by the WBC after he chose to fight for the organization’s superfeatherweight and lightweight titles when he could’ve taken other options? Pacquiao picked the WBC over other governing bodies as the organization through which to establish his legacy.

• What happened to good faith in the WBC’s dealings with its champions, especially with Pacquiao who is recognized as the world’s No. 1 fighter, pound for pound?

• Has Pacquiao ever given the WBC reason to doubt his integrity? Pacquiao’s dealings with the WBC and other governing bodies have always been above board.

• Why is the WBC harassing Pacquiao with the Dela Hoya fight only a month away? Could this be meant as a distraction to favor the Golden Boy?

Just asking.

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