by Hans Olson
For a moment, fight fans had something to get excited about when a report ran on ABS-CBN.com yesterday.
“Negotiations are ongoing for my fight with Mayweather, but nothing is final,” said Manny Pacquiao at a press conference the WBO Welterweight Champion held in General Santos City in his native Philippines.
That Manny Pacqauio held a presser and discussed the super-fight the world wants to see is very good news for fight fans. Finally, it appears Manny Pacquiao has decided to take his career into his own hands, regardless of what his promoter Bob Arum wants. In truth, Manny feels that Floyd is ready for the fight as well.
“Mayweather may be thinking, ‘I can fight Pacquiao now because he had trouble against Marquez, and I was able to beat up Marquez,’” theorized Pacqauio. “This is what boxing fans are waiting for.”
Unfortunately, Manny Pacquiao is either unaware of Bob Arum’s plans, or he is unconcerned about them. I’m hoping for the latter.
Just last Sunday, Lee Jimenez of InterAKTV.com quoted a much different stance from Pacqauio’s advisor, Michael Koncz. “Honestly, there’s been no discussions with Manny about boxing and we don’t plan to discuss the opponent (in 2012) until after the holidays,” said Koncz.
Who is to be believed?
Bob Arum has said numerous times that he is not interested in a fight with Floyd Mayweather next May, preferring to match Pacquiao with Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth fight between the two. This was validated by a letter which said so, that Richard Shaefer of Golden Boy Promotions received by email shortly after Pacquiao/Marquez III. The email was from retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, who has served as a mediator between Golden Boy and Top Rank in the past.
Through numerous media outlets over the last few weeks, Manny Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach, and strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza have all voiced their strong desire to fight Mayweather next.
Floyd Mayweather and Leonard Ellerbe have expressed their desire to make it happen as well. Speaking with ESPN’s Dan Rafael in a story posted on November 3, Ellerbe emphatically stated “We’re looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is, the little fella.”
So why is Bob Arum holding this fight up?
Or is he?
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times said this today on his Twitter account:
“Bob Arum tells me a few parties worldwide have approached him and Floyd Mayweather camps to discuss finnancing super-fight.”
It could be that perhaps both Floyd Mayweather, with his strong desire to make the fight with Manny Pacquiao happen, along with Manny Pacqauio, fed up with being told what to do by Arum, have forced Arum’s hand.
It has now become crystal clear why this fight hasn’t happened yet.
Yesterday, Fight Hype’s Ben Thompson posted a blistering interview on his site that he conducted with Alex Ariza. “Let me ask you something, why is it that Bob can do a co-promotion with anyone, DiBella, this guy, that guy, but he won’t do a co-promotion when it comes to Manny Pacquiao fighting somebody? Whoever Manny fights, he has to fight in-house. Why is that do you think? I wonder why,” said Ariza in Thompson’s interview. “I wonder when somebody is going to start scratching their head and going ‘why is it that Bob doesn’t want to share a co-promotion when it comes to Manny?’ Sure is a lot of money.”
After a long time, the truth comes out. Floyd Mayweather has fallen victim to the lies of Bob Arum and the many who claim it is he who has held up the fight with Manny Pacquiao. Similar to the three stages German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer described when he long ago said “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident,” it is now self evident that Floyd Mayweather is not the one to blame.
Let’s hope this fight happens.
Boxing Insider’s Hans Olson can be reached at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @hansolson.
