Arum: Mayweather is our 1st priority for Pacquiao; Marquez is the second choice

By Boxing News - 11/29/2011 - Comments

Image: Arum: Mayweather is our 1st priority for Pacquiao; Marquez is the second choiceBy Chris Williams: Bob Arum of Top Rank says that his goal is now is to try and make the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight happen next. However, if that fight can’t be made, Arum will be looking to get Juan Manuel Marquez to fight Pacquiao for the fourth time. That’s the fight that Arum said he wanted recently instead of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. But Arum received a lot of criticism boxing fans who weren’t happy with seeing the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight put off further.

Arum now says he’s working on trying to make the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight but let’s hope he’s serious about what he says and not just giving lip service. There is nothing wrong with a Marquez-Pacquiao fourth fight, but fans have been waiting so long and the whole world already pretty much sees Pacquiao as having been given a gift in the Marquez fight. The world doesn’t need Pacquiao to fight Marquez again and get another potential gift so that the gravy train doesn’t end. Some people think Arum is protecting Pacquiao from Mayweather to prolong the service life of his cash cow.

In an interview at boxingtalk.com, Arum said “We want Manny to fight Floyd; he is our first priority. If Floyd isn’t available or the negotiations fall through, we will go afer Marquez.”

Arum is working with investors from Los Angeles and New York to try and put together the fight.

Boxing fans want to see Pacquiao take the Mayweather fight to see if he’s legit or just media creation. I personally think Pacquiao isn’t nearly as good as some people think. He’s a good fighter, to be sure, but he’s terribly limited. We saw a little bit of that in his questionable decision over Marquez recently. Pacquiao can’t cut off a ring to save his life.

Arum has done a heck of a job of matching him against fading fighters, stationary fighters and guys that really no business being in with him in the first place. If Arum had been Pacquiao’s promoter from day 1, I have no doubts that Pacquiao’s record would now be 59-0 instead of 54-3-2, because Arum would have matched him really well.



Comments are closed.