adminLas Vegas, with the off-shore Chinese gambling resort of Macau emerging as the “favourite.”
Michael Koncz said that the 39,6 percent tax rate Pacquiao would face if he were to fight again in the US makes a fall bout in Las Vegas “a no go.”
Promoter Bob Arum is hopeful of arranging a fifth match between Pacquiao and Marquez in the fall, potentially on September 14. Arum’s preference is for the fight to be at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which is his company’s home base.
But Arum and Koncz say Pacquiao is balking at the additional money he’d lose to the government if the fight was held in Las Vegas. Arum said Pacquiao would not have to pay taxes if the fight takes place in casinos in either Singapore or Macau.
“Manny can go back to Las Vegas and make US$25 million, but how much of it will he end up with – US$15 million?” Arum said.
“If he goes to Macau, perhaps his purse will only be US$20 million, but he will get to keep it all, so he will be better off.”
While avoiding a huge tax bill would be a benefit to Pacquiao, it would hurt Arum in terms of pay-per-view sales. Arum said a detailed review indicates that a pay-per-view bout emanating outside of North America would do about 50 percent fewer sales.
At the numbers a fifth Pacquiao-Marquez fight would generate, that is a staggering loss.
Pacquiao-Marquez 4, in which Marquez knocked Pacquiao out in the sixth round on December 8 last year in Las Vegas, sold 1,15 million on pay-per-view.
The fifth fight figures to be at least as big, if not larger. At 1,15 million sales, the gross revenue from pay-per-view would be US$69 million. The cable and satellite companies, which distribute the bout, get half of that off the top, leaving US$34,5 million to the promotional side.
A 50 percent cut would mean a decrease in revenue to the promotion of US$17,25 million.
While Pacquiao seems set in preferring to fight in Asia because of taxes, Arum conceded that hasn’t been an issue for Marquez.
“Juan hasn’t expressed the same concern about US taxes that Manny has,” Arum said.
Pacquiao’s last four bouts and 10 of his last 12 have been in Las Vegas, but Koncz insisted the Filipino congressman is unhappy with the tax increase and is not eager to return. Koncz spent the end of December and all of January traveling with Pacquiao in the Philippines and vacationing with him in Israel. He said they had begun discussing fight plans in earnest.
Macau’s financial power is extraordinary, and Macau has emerged as the world’s most lucrative gambling hotspot, with revenues that far outstrip those of Las Vegas.
Nevada casino mogul Steve Wynn claimed recently that he now considers his chain of resorts as “a Chinese company, not an American company,” as the bulk of its income is derived from its two Macau properties.
Koncz, though, said Singapore is a viable alternative to Las Vegas, in addition to Macau.
“One thing we agreed on is that the taxes make Vegas a no-go. You’re a fighter up there risking your life in the ring, so you have to maximise what you are going to get out of it. I know, Manny knows, that he only has a certain number of fights left,” he said – AFP.
Online Reporter