Report: Manny Pacquiao’s Contract With Top Rank Has Expired

The rift between Manny Pacquiao and promotional company Top Rank seems to have reached another level with reports coming from the Philippines indicating that Pacquiao’s time with Bob Arum’s company us over.

According to Philstar.com, Pacquiao’s camp has stated that Pacquiao’s deal with Top Rank Boxing has expired and no longer under obligation to accept fights offered to him. Pacquiao’s lawyer Eldibrando Viernesto has confirmed the report, confirming that Pacquiao’s contract with Top Rank ended last year when he faced Jeff Horn for the WBO welterweight title. The fight headlined a boxing card on ESPN which did record viewership numbers.

“I reviewed the contract and I found out that Bob Arum has no more say even in the rematch, should there be any, between Manny Pacquiao and Australian boxer Jeff Horn,” Viernesto said.

A rematch between Pacquiao and Horn had been explored before Pacquiao withdrew from the fight due to schedule conflicts with his other job as a senator. Top Rank would then offer Pacquiao a fight against Mike Alvarado for the now-canceled April 14 boxing card at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Pacquiao rejected that fight, dissatisfied with the opponent offered to him, and proceeded to try and negotiate a fight with WBA “regular” welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, in Malaysia some time in June.

This wouldn’t be the first time Pacquiao tried to find an opponent by himself when Top Rank already had an opponent in place for him. After Arum had already announced that Pacquiao would face Horn last year, Pacquiao tried to set up a fight between him and Amir Khan in the United Arab Emirates until Arum shut down the fight.