Arum advises Manny to ignore Mayweather

By Boxing News - 02/29/2012 - Comments

Image: Arum advises Manny to ignore MayweatherBy John F. McKenna (McJack): Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is advising Filipino icon World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) to ignore anything undefeated superstar WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26 KO’s) says regarding putting together a mega bucks fight between the pair.

Arum was quoted in the Manila Standard saying:

“The best thing to do is just ignore him” (Mayweather).

Speaking of Mayweather’s offer to give Manny $40 million dollars while keeping the balance of the revenue brought in from a Pacquiao – Mayweather fight, including the Pay Per View (PPV), Arum said:

“He (Mayweather) does not really want to fight Manny” pointing to the low offer from Mayweather as evidence that he does not want to engage “Pacman” in the ring.

It is thought by boxing insiders that the PPV income alone for a Pacquiao – Mayweather fight would bring in upwards of $160 million.

Mayweather in recent statements has indicated that for a fight between himself and Pacquiao to take place, Arum would have to go. Pacquiao has indicated to the media that the $40 million offer he received from Mayweather was embarrassing and that he felt Floyd was attempting to take advantage of him.

Mayweather was also quoted in the Manila Standard speaking of Miguel Cotto’s loss to Pacquiao in November 2009:

“He (Cotto) lost to someone who cheated and wasn’t at his best against Pacquiao.”

Speaking of himself in the 3rd person Mayweather said: “at the end of the day Floyd Mayweather is not a cheater.”

Mayweather neglected to mention that when he fought Juan Manuel Marquez he had agreed to come into the ring at 145 pounds and instead weighed in at 147 pounds. “Money” paid a fine of $600,000 for the infraction. To make matters worse Floyd refused the usual weigh in on fight night and reportedly came into the ring 15 to 20 pounds over the limit.

Floyd still clings to the notion of random drug testing as a reason that a fight between himself and Pacquiao has not happened as if that was still an issue. Clearly the random drug testing issue was put to bed months ago, leaving Mayweather to come up with additional excuse and interchange them as he sees fit. It seems that the chief excuse that Mayweather now uses is his insistence that no one gets a 50/50 deal with Floyd Mayweather. This is also a ludicrous excuse when it is taken into account that Pacquiao has won championships in eight weight divisions in addition to being named Fighter of the Decade by boxing writers for the years from 2000 to 2009. In addition based on their last three fights, Manny has actually outsold Floyd on PPV as well as the live gate.

When asked whether or not he thought that a Pacquiao – Mayweather fight would ever happen Floyd snapped: “Absolutely not.”



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