By Ronnie Nathanielsz

TRAINER Freddie Roach may fly to Manila over the weekend to talk to Manny Pacquiao about his decision to turn down a planned May 2 fight against Britain?s Ricky Hatton after the Filipino champ failed to get the guarantee he wanted.

Roach, in an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, said Pacquiao won?t take his calls. ?So I may fly out Sunday and see him.?

The trainer, who helped hone Pacquiao?s skills to near perfection and helped him overcome a number of great fighters to win four world titles and emerge as the no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, sounded upset when he said: ?I can?t even talk to him.?

Roach said he couldn?t understand why Pacquiao turned down a $12-million guarantee and a 52-48 split offered him by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Pacquiao?s legal counsel Jeng Gacal confirmed that there were plans for Roach and even Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to fly over to Manila to meet with the Pacman, who was in Pampanga yesterday for a game featuring his GenSan team MP Warriors against the Pampanga Buddies in a Liga Pilipinas game. But Gacal said Pacquiao didn?t play.

But one man who understood and supported Pacquiao?s stand was World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman, who said he supported Pacquiao?s decision.

?I believe that he [Pacquiao] is right. How can Hatton expect to make the same money as him?,? said Sulaiman, who described Pacquiao as ?a much more credible fighter. He is the best pound for pound while the other guy [Hatton] lost badly to Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

The WBC president added: ?I don?t think he should even dare to ask for a 50-50. That?s ridiculous.?

Pacquiao, who arrived in Manila from his hometown of General Santos City around noon, confirmed the Hatton fight was off.

He told Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN, who was at the airport, that the fight was off because they didn?t give in to what he had asked for which was either a $13-million guarantee and a 52-48 revenue split or a $12-million guarantee and a 55-45 split.

Castillejo quoted Pacquiao as saying he had always given-in in the past and it was time for him to stand firm.

Arum earlier told Standard Today he couldn?t understand why Pacquiao rejected his $12-million guarantee and a 52-48 purse split which would have been ?his biggest purse ever and nobody is throwing away this kind of money on nonsense.?

Arum maintained that without the Hatton fight, Pacquiao would have to go back to getting fights for $3 million.

Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reported that Arum had requested a personal round-table meeting with Pacquiao by next week, saying he was ?tired of having his messages to his fighter filtered through the boxer?s advisers in the Philippines.?

The LA Times quoted Arum as saying he wanted to have a sit-down with Pacquiao and Roach and to discuss why Pacquiao declined to sign the Hatton contract. He said he also wants to determine, who Pacquiao is willing to fight.

Pacquiao, who was earlier scheduled to leave for the US to watch the Antonio Margarito vs Shane Mosley fight this weekend, said he had called off the trip while Gacal told us he had informed Arum about the cancellation. Gacal said Arum was clearly upset over the developments.