It turns out when it came to broadcasting his fights’ TV rights in the US, Manny Pacquiao only very recently became a free agent. Despite being a free agent promotion-wise for some time.

Pacquiao has been speaking to various promoters and players in world boxing over the past number of months but it turns out he still had obligations to his old promoter Top Rank for his US TV rights.

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, Pacquiao and Top Rank had agreed to pay Pacquiao $1.7 million for US TV rights of his last fight against Lucas Matthysse.

However, that agreement was premised on Top Rank being able to distribute his next fight in the US again.

Something Pacquiao clearly didn’t want to do or have any interest in.

All in all, a settlement of $300,000 was paid to Pacquiao which then allowed Al Haymon to swoop in and sign him.

Haymon has a new deal signed with Showtime and Fox that starts on December 22nd which no doubt Pacquiao vs Broner and then a Pacquiao vs Mayweather 2 fight will be a part of in 2019.

It is understood however before Pacquiao returns to the US to fight either he must first settle an eight-figure tax settlement with the US government if he wants to fight in America again.

Otherwise he will have to stage the fights in Europe or Asia.