Bob Arum on superfight
Arum runs Top Rank promotions, the company Manny Pacquiao is with. He also once worked with Floyd Mayweather. Their falling out was not amicable and Mayweather once said that he would never agree to fight Pacquiao if Arum were involved.
But with this round of negotiations, as opposed to the negotiations back in 2010, various statements from Mayweather and his camp lead one to believe that Mayweather is going to sign to fight Pacquiao, despite Arum’s involvement. In fact they seem very close, some reports say the deal’s virtually done.
TMZ wrote that two days ago and now the New York Post reports the same thing, providing Arum as their source. Arum not only told the newspaper once that in another two days a contract should be done, he told them twice.
“The issues are being narrowed down to extraordinarily small points. I’m optimistic it will all be put together in the next couple of days,” Arum told the Post. “Everybody is doing the right thing. We’re looking to complete the paperwork. Everything is moving in the right direction. Hopefully, the next couple of days it will get done.”
Mayweather less optimistic
For boxing fans who want to see Mayweather, 37, and Pacquiao, 36, meet in the ring while they still have their powers, those quotes, along with quotes from Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, who said the fight was all but signed, are hopeful. Koncz was in the Pac-Man’s hotel room in Miami Tuesday night when Mayweather visited and the boxers talked over an hour.
But the hype giveth and hype taketh away as after Arum’s remarks to the Post Mayweather, from Jamaica on Saturday, posted on Instagram what his take on things was.
“Laying back, relaxing, enjoying good weather, palm trees and piña coladas,” Mayweather wrote. “While they continue to lie about making the fight, I’m just going to continue to travel and explore the world on my private jet #FightNotMadeYet #Jamaica.”
Whether Mayweather meant Arum and Koncz were lying about the contract being near, or that media who reported the contract was near were lying, is unclear. Either way he does not appear concerned.
One thing clear is that reports that the deal would be announced at the Super Bowl were wrong. They actually matched up with Arum’s comments in terms of the time line but the game is over with New England beating Seattle 28-24, and no announcement was made.
So is all of this hype or simply a part of negotiating a fight? Either way look for this fight to happen and happen on May 2 in Las Vegas.
