Rios could destroy Arum’s potential pot of gold in China by beating Pacquiao

By Chris Williams: Bob Arum is hoping with the help of his #1 fighter Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) to open up the Chinese markets to mine them for pay per view broadcasts in the near future. It won’t be for Pacquiao’s next fight against Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) on November 23rd, but it’s possible that his fights after that will sell to the Chinese market for $5 or $6 on PPV, according to the Los Angeles Times.

But for Arum to get to that point, he needs Pacquiao to beat Rios, and start winning on a regular basis once again. Arum’s not going to do a great job of selling Paccquiao’s fights to the Chinese market if the Chinese boxing fans see him getting whipped by Rios, and knocked out cold on November 23rd.

The Pacquiao-Rios fight will be free to the Chinese fans, but you can only imagine what the reaction will be in early 2014 if Arum suddenly tries to sell a Pacquiao fight to the Chinese fans for $5 or $6 after a knockout loss to Rios.

It’s a big population and all, but I think Arum would have to stuff Pacquiao on the undercard of a Zou Shiming headliner for the Chinese fans to show interest in buying a card like that.

Pacquiao has got to beat Rios, because there’s going to be a ton of Chinese fans watching that fight for free in China, and they’re probably not going to be excited at the option of having to pay to see Pacquiao’s future fights if they see Rios battering him around the ring and leaving him face first on the canvas. And it’s not as if Arum will be able to sell Rios’ fights on PPV in China if he beats Pacquiao.

Why would the Chinese fans want to pay to see a foreign fighter like Rios? Good luck if Arum tries that one. I don’t think he would ever even consider it, but who knows? Pacquiao has to beat Rios, because I think Arum’s potential pot of gold will disappear if Rios blasts Pacquiao out the way that Marquez did.

Arum would have to hope that the Chinese fans have a short memory if he were to still try and sell Pacquiao’s future fights on PPV to the Chinese fans after Rios stops him.