ARUM TO MEET WITH CBS/SHOWTIME PRESIDENT ON TUESDAY TO DISCUSS PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER SHOWDOWN
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 24 Nov 2014
Leslie Roy Moonves.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum plans to meet with CBS/Showtime president Leslie Moonves on Tuesday to continue talks about a possible showdown before June next year between ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao and undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In a telephone conversation with the Manila Standard/Viva Sports hours before he was scheduled to return to the US from Macau, Arum said he ?hopes to make the Mayweather fight? and is ready ?to give him ( Mayweather) a little time? to respond
In pushing in earnest for the megabuck fight which boxing fans and the media have clamored for over the past four years, Arum said ?If boxing is to be considered a major sport, the fight has to happen," even as he added, "It would seem to me to be counterproductive for someone like Les Moonves to be wasting his time if it was all [nonsense]."
Arum emphasized, "All the nonsense has to cease, everyone should be working together to make that fight happen. There's no excuses anymore, none. Every place we go, they ask us when that fight is going to happen. Enough is enough, let's just make the fight happen, let's get it done and make it the next fight for each fighter, sometime in the first six months of next year."
Pacquiao himself took the offensive in challenging Mayweather to get into the ring with him, obviously buoyed with his domination of the previously undefeated WBO junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri whom he knocked down no less than six times which Arum pointed out was twice as many knockdowns as Floyd has scored over the past twelve years.
To Arum, his prized possession ?was great against Algieri. He was quick, he was powerful. He was the old Manny? who smashed opponents like Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky ?The Hitman? Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito in an amazing run in which he won eight world titles in different weight divisions.
Pacquiao joined his promoter in calling on Mayweather to accept the challenge when he told a post-fight news conference ?It's time to see that happen, people can prepare for it early next year."
Respected boxing writer Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times said Pacquiao also told the Times ?he's willing to bend to a specific purse-split percentage favoring Mayweather that sources close to Mayweather told The Times was required for the deal to get done.?
One of the hosts on the popular Ringside boxing show on SEN Radio in Melbourne, Australia, informed us that the split would be $100 million for Mayweather and $60 million for Pacquiao while The LA Times reported that a Showtime spokesman said last week that Mayweather and the network want the fight.
In fact celebrated trainer Freddie Roach has started reviewing some of Mayweather?s more recent fights told the LA Times ? I like challenges. It's not an easy fight by any means, but I love Manny in that fight, and look forward to getting Manny ready for that fight. I know Floyd's the best opponent we've ever faced."
Pacquiao?s longtime adviser Michael Koncz told the Standard that ?there?s no rush? to get to the nitty-gritty of a Mayweather fight and that they would discuss a possible fight in earnest after the Christmas season.
He said Manny is feeling great? even as the entourage was scheduled to return to General Santos City at 1:00 p.m. Monday. Koncz said that while they didn?t get the knockout they hoped for he ?saw some good things and one of them was that Manny was more motivated. I?m happy about it.?
Pacquiao?s first trainer Rick Stahaley who trained him when Manny won his first world title ? the WBC flyweight championship scoring an 8th round knockout over Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul on December 3, 1998 said ?when Manny caught Algieri early in the first round with a left, Algieri realized Manny was at another level.?
Respected international referee Bruce McTavish said that ?while Algieri was not in Pacquiao?s class, I wasn?t super impressed.? At the same time he believes referee Genaro ?Gino? Hernandez should have stopped the fight when Manny nailed Algieri in the ninth round and ?he had a hard time getting up. Why allow him to take more punishment when he was not going to win the fight.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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