Boxer would rather fight in Macau than Las Vegas

The Dec. 8 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. (AP)

Manny Pacquiao's chief adviser insisted Monday that the Filipino superstar's preference is for his next bout – a fifth fight against Juan Manuel Marquez – to take place away from Las Vegas, with the off-shore Chinese gambling resort of Macau emerging as the "favorite."

Michael Koncz told Yahoo! Sports that the 39.6 percent tax rate Pacquiao would face if he were to fight again in the U.S. 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 Sept. 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 were 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 $25 million, but how much of it will he end up with – $15 million?" Arum said. "If he goes to Macau, perhaps his purse will only be $20 million, but he will get to keep it all, so he will be better off."

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.
--http://sports.yahoo.com/news/boxing--pacquiao-prefers-to-fight-marquez-in-china-because-of-high-u-s--taxes-003802872.html