ARUM NOT CONSIDERING ANY OTHER OPPONENT FOR PACQUIAO FOR NOW EXCEPT MAYWEATHER
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 09 Dec 2014
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is not considering any possible opponent for ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao until he has exhausted all efforts to make a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight happen.
In an overseas telephone conversation with the Manila Standard/Viva Sports, Arum said he has been ?talking to CBS president Leslie Moonves but not the Mayweather people? amidst indications that Moonves who heads CBS which owns Showtime which has a six-fight, $200 million deal with Mayweather, dealing with the Mayweather camp.
Moonves himself had indicated that because of the sensitive nature of the talks with the Mayweather people he didn?t want to discuss it publicly.
Arum said he is ?concentrating on the Mayweather fight at least for the next couple of weeks? and indicated that if the negotiations are successful the fight will take place in June.
He said that should a Mayweather fight fail to materialize then Pacquiao, the eight division world champion will return to the ring sometime in April next year.
However, while some names are being mentioned for a possible Pacquuao fight, he hasn?t given them a thought.
One of those being pushed to a fight with Pacquuiao is Britain?s former world junior welterweight champion Amir Khan with Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya indicating he is determined to secure Khan a fight against Pacquiao or ? less likely ? Floyd Mayweather in 2015.
De La Hoya who has mended his ties with Arum said ?I?m pushing for a Pacquiao fight? but Khan would first have to overcome Devon Alexander in a WBC welterweight Silver title fight in Las Vegas this weekend.
De La Hoya who was quoted by the British newspaper The Guardian, said Khan ?is a devastating puncher, has tremendous speed and he knows how to use it. He pleases the fans. He?s exciting. People want to watch him fight.?
De La Hoya said ?Amir Khan is just beginning, he has a lot of fights left in him. He?s still learning and he?s still growing; he?s getting stronger and he?s getting faster. He?s more motivated than ever. If he keeps winning, if he keeps on getting into these big fights that are promised, I really do feel that Amir Khan can be one of the top fighters of all time. But first things first: Devon Alexander is a tough, tough opponent.?
The Golden Boy Promotions head noted that ?Khan has been having eliminator after eliminator. The time for him is now. He deserves to be fighting Floyd Mayweather. He deserves to be fighting Manny Pacquiao? although it is clear that the easier fight to negotiate would be the one with Pacquiao with whom Khan trained at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach and also in the Philippines.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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