By Chris Williams: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum will be bringing back his fighter Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KO’s) to fight in the United States at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 12th against one of three of his stables fighters – Tim Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez or Ruslan Provodnikov, according to Fightnews.
This is a big turnaround for Arum, because he’s been talking about having Pacquiao fight outside of the U.S from now on due to the heavy taxes he has to pay from the money he gets from U.S fans through pay-per-view. But it looks like something has caused Arum to change his mind about that for some reason. Could it be that the U.S PPV sales for his recent Macao, China card was less than Earth-shattering? Who knows?
The venue might be back in the U.S, but the names are pretty much the same guys that Arum has been tossing about with Bradley being the most likely guy Pacquiao fights next, Marquez being the fight that would draw the most money, and the Provodnikov fight being the most dangerous option. Marquez is the fight that Arum probably wants most of all, but it’s also the toughest fight for him to make because Marquez reportedly wants a lot more money to fight Pacquiao for a fifth time. Arum can get Marquez if he gives him a 50-50 deal, but that’s not going to happen. Marquez will not get a 50-50 deal. His cut from his last fight with Pacquiao was 75/25. At best, I can see Marquez getting a 70-30 take it or leave it offer, but nothing more than that.
That leaves Bradley as the guy that Pacquiao will without a doubt fight next. Provodnikov is too dangerous right now, I can see Arum doing anything he can not to have Pacquiao fight this guy because he’d end up beating up Pacquiao if that fight gets made. Provodnikov is too big, too strong, too physical and too young for Pacquiao. Even Pacquiao won, it would come at a huge cost with all the head shots he’d have to take from the Russian Provodnikov.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach would have Pacquiao fighting defensively against Provodnikov, but it wouldn’t matter. Pacquiao would still end up taking a vicious beating from Provodnikov, much worse than any of his previous fights, and there would be a huge chance that Pacquiao would be knocked out. I don’t see Arum making this fight because the gravy train could come to a screeching halt if Pacquiao gets beaten too badly by the Russian.
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