By Eric Thomas: In the latest boxing news, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is reportedly still interested in putting together the mega fight between his fighter Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. for late May.
However, Arum needs Mayweather Jr. to contact him directly to get the ball rolling because the 80-year-old Arum isn’t quite sure who to deal with in putting the fight together. Unless Arum is absolutely certain who’s the management representative to start working with Mayweather then he can’t put the fight together. Arum is still interested in making the fight next as long as he’s contacted by Mayweather and receives instructions from him as to who to deal with to start putting the mega fight together.
Besides that issue, Arum still needs to discuss the purse split, venue and construction of an outside 45,000 seat arena to fit more boxing fans into the fight. Arum isn’t happy with the 16,800 seat MGM Grand arena in Las Vegas, and wants to get a bigger arena to increase the gate. Arum believes that will bring in an extra $30 million that his fighter Pacquiao will get a percentage of.
Kelly Pavlik working with Robert Garcia in Oxnard, California
Former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (37-2, 32 Ko’s) is working with his new trainer Robert Garcia in Oxnard, California, where Pavlik will be trying to resurrect his career. He moved recently from his longtime how of Youngstown, Ohio to escape some of the problems that were distracting him over there. In addition, Pavlik has stopped working with longtime trainer Jack Loew and is looking to get a new start with Garcia in California. Pavlik is expected back in the ring by April or May. He hasn’t fought since last year when he barely beat Alfonso Lopez, a fringe contender.
Juan Manuel Lopez to face Orlando Salido on March 10th
Juan Manuel Lopez (31-1, 28 KO’s) vs. Orlando Salido (37-11-2, 25 KOs) is now official for March 10th in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Lopez was stopped in the 8th round last year by Salido and he wants to try and avenge that defeat and recapture his WBO featherweight title he lost against Salido.
Lopez has fought since then, beating Mike Oliver by a 2nd round TKO last October and looked a little out of sorts.
Salido has been busier, getting two nice payday fights as a champion against Kenichi Yamaguchi and Weng Haya, and stopping both of them. The Yamaguchi fight was a one-sided beating with Salido dominating from start to finish. The Haya fight was a little harder with Salido being knocked down in the 3rd and 4th rounds before coming on to dominate and stop Haya in the 8th.
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