By Hermie Rivera

“The fight racket (boxing) since its rotten beginnings has always been the red light district of sports.” —Jimmy Cannon

AN ugly war continues.

We aren’t talking here of Manny Pacquiao’s rumble with Erik Morales in their third 12-round encounter at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas Nov. l8.

It’s about the Filipino ring idol’s conflict with his handlers who see dollar signs dancing on the boxer’s head any time of day or night.

While most of Manny’s managers have disappeared, two of his promoters are still around angling for employment possibilities.

Some characters out to strike gold have lulled themselves into thinking that they could get away with larceny—forgetting that somewhere are crusaders opposed to such form of chicanery.

Despite repeated raids on his treasury, Manny will continue to prosper unless he does something incredibly stupid that could set him in a trap by subordinates out to ruin him financially.

As for his peripatetic handlers led by Shelly Finkel, Nick Khan and Keith Davidson—perhaps we can oblige them for an iota of transparency since no one who’s outside the loop knows about the service they provided Manny for the $400,000 they took home from his fight with Oscar Larios.

And that doesn’t begin to touch the fees they treated themselves to—from the past Morales fights, the Hector Velazquez fight and the mother of all scores—-Pacquiao-Morales III.

Manny Pacquiao has been a star before Finkel, Khan and Davidson barged into the scene. All three Morales fights were in place with Bob Arum’s Top Rank long before the Filipino superman was even a gleam in the new management’s eyes.

So, it is a waste, seeing 20-25 percent of Pacquiao’s purses ending up as handler’s cuts—not to mention the quarter-million greenbucks pocketed by the promoter of the “tumble at the center.”

I gather that some $250,000 changed hands in that iniquitous deal.

Guess who footed the bill?

Keep in mind that the trio engineered the greatest escape act since Houdini—a flick of the finger and voila! ex-Muhammad Ali bodyguard Murad Muhammad and business manager Rod Nazario vanished from the Pacman’s screens.

Out of sight—out of mind for the twosome once deemed untouchables at Manny’s Eden.

Enter, Bob Arum, who has delivered a multimillion-dollar package with humongous extras thrown in as bonuses for the “participants.” Quite a bundle.

But let’s avail of the rest period between rounds so I can remind everyone of a firewall that’s etched in the Ali Reform Boxing Act barring promoters from having a direct or indirect financial interest in the management of a boxer—the proviso inversely applies to managers.

Manny’s clash with Erik in their “physical debate” as Recah Trinidad asserts in his Pacquiao tome—Pacific Storm— might be the last fight of the Pinoy hero prior to his entry into a deadlier combat—politics.

Hello Hizzoner Lito Atienza! Welcome Wakee Salud!

Manny Pacquiao is about to become a free agent and his confidant Rex Salud is moving fast to deliver our icon to Bob Arum who also promotes the Mexicano from Tijuana.

One last note to Uncle Bob; who’s coming in as Manny’s designated promoter in your Grand Finale?

No more miscues—else—you’ll run into Yogi Berra wandering around Ed Wynn’s fabulous digs with his immortal ‘de já vu’ all over again?

The 1993 Team Terrible, featuring the father and son tandem of three-time world champion Erik Morales was one of boxing’s storied ensembles of the nineties.

The engaging Tijuana bunch did well in ambushing boxing’s elite in their 13-year run, amassing three world title belts replete with millions of US bank notes that invariably went to the bank of d’winnah.

A bond of filial loyalty flourished in the closely knit group with the nucleus staying intact until the hard-punching Mexicano went loco by firing his mentor—El Papa Jose.

It was a costly blunder coming as it did when Erik dealt Manny a nasty beating in their first meeting at the MGM Grand.

In the rematch, Morales suffered his first knockout in 52 fights, a 10th round stoppage by Pacquiao who was devastatingly hot in that cold January night.

That was then.

Now, Daddy is back and son Erik is insisting on a win that could close out the Pacquiao-Morales heated rivalry.

The Filipino ring marvel says he’ll be at the Thomas and Mack Center to personally hand Morales his retirement papers after he does a repeat-thrashing of the game Mexican.

Morales’ forced retreat to a secluded barrio could happen if he fails in his crucial bid against Pacquiao who continue to excel over all of the other Mexican standouts to include , Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, David Diaz etc.

And why is the Cotabato Marvel hell-bent in sending the Tijuana Warrior to an early pasture?

This has got to do, I suppose with Pac Man’s plan to jump into a political ring, a risky move away from the roped square where he reigns supreme.

Now, to the hottest query I get these days as to who of the two great talents gets ticketed early out of the hunt?

“The guy who can’t put together in one package– speed, grace and power,” Eddie Futch– trainer par excellence.

While Manny is an excellent fighter, his poise gets skewed during fierce exchanges–thus accounting for such ungraceful demeanor in a given setting.

But he can punch faster and decidedly harder than any of the mittslingers seeing action in his weight class.

Morales is assuring of an all out, hand-to-hand fracas that’ll not only bring closure to his exciting battle with the GenSan superman but of untold riches as well.

Aah, such braggadocio.

Generally viewed as a fight that compels fans to pick a winner, I am declining to predict how this stirring rubber bout will play out knowing that a wrong pick would be calamitous– if you dig what I mean.

But really, the impending fistic war, rife with unrelenting power punching could rival the intensity of the strife currently plaguing Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now will Pac Man’s subalterns stop raiding his coffers and observe a moment of truce as intermediaries try to end the war for control of Pacquiao’s fortune?

Just asking.