WHILE Manny Pacquiao trains thousand of miles away for what could be the biggest fight of his life, another blockbuster of a fight is fast shaping up in Philippine soil and it’s not even inside the boxing ring.

A legal battle among television networks GMA-7, Solar Sports, ABS-CBN and Pacquiao himself looms, after the Pacman announced on Wednesday night that his fight with British champion Ricky Hatton on May 2 will be broadcast by the network owned by Gabby Lopez.

But Solar Sports, through one of its executives in Jude Turcuato, revealed in a statement that Pacquiao has a binding contract with the firm until May of 2011.

“The public is hereby advised, that under a licensed agreement dated seventh of May 2007, Emmanuel Manny Pacquiao and MP Promotions, for valuable considerations, granted to Solar Entertainment the exclusive rights to the audiovisual presentations of all bouts of Manny Pacquiao from May 7, 2007 to 6th of May 2011,” the statement revealed.

“Manny Pacquiao’s attempt to rescind the licensed agreement without any factual or legal basis is ill-advised. All third parties are hereby warned against any tortuous interference with the licensed agreement. Solar Entertainment shall avail of all its legal remedies to the fullest extent against any under breach of and or tortuous interference with the licensed agreement,” Solar Sports warned.

Likewise, GMA-7 also issued a statement, through its legal counsel Dick Perez, that the network “was very disappointed with the reported decision of Manny Pacquiao to transfer from Solar Sports to ABS-CBN the rights to broadcast his fights.”

The same statement clarified that the existing contract for the airing of Pacquiao’s fights in the Philippines is between Pacquiao and Solar Sports, and not between the Pacman and GMA Network, as Solar Sports just enters into blocktime agreements with GMA Network for the airing of the fights.

But the statement also revealed that Pacquiao has a separate contract with GMA Network, prohibiting him from appearing on “any television program, show, promotion or event of any other broadcast media entity other than GMA and its subsidiaries and affiliates without the written consent of GMA.” 

“GMA has not given him its consent to appear in ABS-CBN,” the statement said.

Pacquiao has two existing GMA-7 programs—Pinoy Records and Totoy Bato.

“GMA Entertainment offered projects to Manny as soon as his schedule allows. These include his own sitcom, a drama series, concerts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the United States and in key cities in Canada and boxing clinics around the Philippines. The network may have to review these now in light of the recent developments,” the statement continued. Rey Joble