Tensions in Pacquaio's camp escalate between Freddie Roach and Michael Koncz

Trouble in Pac-Land?(AP Photo/Reed Saxton)

Manny Pacquaio's adviser Michael Koncz has apparently urged the star to dump his trainer Freddie Roach.

There has long been bad blood between the two sides of Manny's camp, and this isn't the first time that tensions have bubbled to the surface.

The crux of the battle is that Koncz wants Bob Arum and Top Rank to represent Pacquaio and Freddie Roach wants Golden Boy. Of course neither of them will come out and say that exactly, instead Koncz is saying Roach is taking too much money, and Roach is calling Koncz a leech and degenerate. Whether Roach is getting too much money or not, he's only getting a standard 10%, which isn't an extortionate rate by any means for a top trainer. Koncz on the other hand seems to have materialized from thin air, not having a background in boxing or management of any kind.

To give a little background on Koncz, Roach said of the adviser back in 2006:

"This guy is a real degenerate," Roach said. "He is a leech in every sense of the word. He claims he played pro hockey. He claims he is a lawyer. Then he says he was a law clerk. He went bankrupt with the Ibeabuchi thing, or so he claims, and he is in bankruptcy now. He lost his house in Orange County and I hear his wife and kids had to go back to Canada.

"But the guy definitely weaseled his way into Manny's life. He speaks as much Tagalog as me, meaning not a word. The guy is sleeping on the floor in Manny's bedroom. Manny now sleeps in a bed but this guy is right there when he goes to sleep and right there when he wakes up," Roach said. "He stays with Manny 24/7. I know this character and he is only looking out for himself."

Koncz yesterday added further fuel to the fire, stating:

"Roach is not getting the 10 percent on this one," Koncz said. "Manny cut Freddie down by $200,000 so he will get $1 million. They agreed to that."
"It's an unnecessary expense at this juncture of Manny's career. He doesn't need Freddie. Freddie needs Manny."
"I told Manny that he trains himself anyway so why pay Freddie so much money. I am always looking for ways to save Manny money and that expense is unjustified."

The last time I checked, it was Freddie who made Manny, not the other way around, and its not as if Freddie doesn't have other fighters he could be working with if Manny actually were to dump him. What Freddie has done for Manny is easy to see, but what Koncz has done isn't so clear, he has hanger on written all over him. No doubt in a few years when Manny goes bankrupt Koncz will slither away from where he came from.

Its clear that he has links to Bob Arum although both of them deny the fact, Arum signed the lease on his apartment, shortly after Roach refused to lend Koncz money. Then when the subject of promoters comes up, Roach and Koncz are on opposite sides of the argument. Surely one of the two deals offered was clearly better than the other, and the other party pushing for the inferior deal must have some ulterior motive for wanting it.

Sadly finding a boxer who has some sense with his money is like finding a dog that speaks Norwegian, very rare indeed. This is the reason there are so many ex-champions who lose all of their money in one way or another, whether from out of control spending or being drained by yes men and friends on the payroll.