Is Arum attempting to drive Mayweather over the edge?

By Boxing News - 09/23/2011 - Comments

Image: Is Arum attempting to drive Mayweather over the edge?By John F. McKenna (McJack): Even when Top Rank CEO Bob Arum was promoting the fights for new World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champ Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26 KO’s) their relationship was anything but pleasant. The pair had an acrimonious split in 2006 and things have gone downhill ever since. Both parties continue to take pot shots at each other on a frequent basis.

During the lead up to Mayweather’s match with then WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz last Saturday night Arum continued to take pot shots at Floyd on almost a daily basis. “Uncle” Bob made numerous statements to the press while involved in the media press tour to promote Manny Pacquiao’s November 12 fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Arum’s comments were seemingly intended to get under Mayweather’s skin.
In that respect the Top Rank CEO achieved his objective.

Seemingly as if scripted for a reality TV show designed to get headlines, the Harvard educated Arum would make a comment that he knew would infuriate Mayweather. Floyd would almost immediately fire back with his own salvo. A day or so would pass then another comment to the press about Floyd from Arum.

One of Arum’s comments to the press was that he and Pacquiao were not going to go chasing after Floyd. In another statement to the press Arum said that Mayweather’s behavior and actions indicate that he may be insane.

For his part Mayweather continues to rant that for a fight between him and Pacquiao to take place, all Manny needs to do is “take the test.” It is a line that has worked well for Floyd as his dutiful supporters constantly hurl that at Pacquiao supporters when left with no other argument as to why a Mayweather – Pacquiao fight has not happened.

In reality it is this writer’s assessment that Arum believes “The Fight” will never happen. He believes that when every one of “Money’s” demands are met, he will come up with new demands.

A few weeks ago a new demand came out of the Mayweather camp insisting that Pacquaio would have to do all his training in the USA so that all the drug testing could be done here. Of course it is difficult to ascertain how much credibility can be put into some of the comments coming from the various Mayweaher’s. No one knows who really speaks for Floyd.

A couple of months ago Arum commented that he believed Floyd would wait until Manny was retired and involved in his political career. Mayweather would then say he wanted the match everyone has been clamoring for. At that point he would say that Manny was ducking him.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has made it clear that he calls his own shots and that he does not allow any promoter to tell him what to do. Undoubtedly Arum will continue to stick the needle in and Mayweather will predictably fire back with his frequent rants.

Arum carries considerable clout in the boxing world and though he denies it, many observers believe he had a hand in the removal of HBO exec Ross Greenburg. Presently Mayweather is enjoying the independence of not having anyone tell him what to do. But Arum at 8o years old still has his faculties and has been playing the cat and mouse game with both fighters and promoters for decades. “Uncle” Bob knows how to play the game and he does not like to lose.

Arum may in fact be hell bent in sending Mayweather over the edge.



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