Arum’s Plans Were on the Nose
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 10 Jun 2007
When Bob Arum decided to offer Bobby Pacquiao a fight with Humberto Soto, it was easy to surmise that deep within his mind set, he was already planning a possible fight between Soto and Manny Pacquiao. The Pacman and Soto are both fighters in his stable so that would not be too difficult to arrange. But even with that, he must have a good plan to pull off the fight. And, what a plan he had!
With Soto decisively beating Bobby Pacquiao, Arum ‘s plans were on the nose!
As an old dog in the business so to speak, Arum knew all along that Bobby’s chances of winning against Soto are at best minimal. Thus, setting up the Soto-Bobby fight will play out well in making the Soto-Pacman tiff possible because there will be a reason to get it done. That reason is revenge!
Arum played the game without admitting publicly that all along he had in mind the Soto-Pacman fight. That’s the savvy promoter he is!
While admittedly, the above is pure speculation, there could be some truth in it.
How?
All the big money fighters are with Golden Boy. And, that is not to mention the intense rivalry between Top Rank and GBP. So a savage Soto victory over Bobby would make it easier to set up the Soto-Pacman fight. Judging from the facial reaction of the Pacman when Bobby was counted out in the 7th round, one can see that then and there, he wanted to avenge the defeat of his younger brother.
How could he not? Blood is thicker than water and it is only normal for Manny to feel that way for he felt for his brother. If nothing else, it will save the legacy of the family name. And, playing out the “revenge angle” will generate a lot of interest amongst the Mexican and Filipino fight fans. As we all know, in the fight business, fans’ interest almost always translates to money to be made.
Most importantly, Arum need not worry about dealing with the Golden Boy. He can now generate fans’ interest ( read: - lots of money to be made) by simply playing out the “revenge angle”. With, it would not be too difficult to sell the Pacman-Soto fight, be it in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Vancouver or anywhere else. What a genius!
On the other side of the coin, Bobby’s 7th round knock-out should not be something for him to be ashamed of. He gave a good performance and fought his heart out knowing that his chances were very slim. His performance truly showed the family genes that made him and his brother true warriors to the end. Mabuhay ka Bobby!
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 20: MUHAMMAD ALI VS. JOE FRAZIER III ON OCTOBER 1, 1975 AT THE ARANETA COLISEUM
By Maloney L. Samaco, Thu, 16 Oct 2025Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: History of Boxing in Reynosa, Tamaulipas
By Mauricio Sulaimán, Thu, 16 Oct 2025YORK HALL PRESS CONFERENCE: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AS CONWAY AND LIDDARD GET SET FOR HUGE DOMESTIC CLASH
Wed, 15 Oct 2025Unbeaten Super Featherweight Contender Andres Cortes Set for Return on October 18 Against Derlyn Hernandez-Geraldo in Long Beach
Wed, 15 Oct 2025JOEL “LETHAL” LEWIS RETURNS NOV 28TH THUNDERDOME 52 – METRO CITY PERTH
Wed, 15 Oct 2025Shane Mosley Sr. Blasts Oscar De La Hoya of Blocking Son’s Title Shot, Calls for Trilogy Fight on Drew & Pris Uncensored podcast
Wed, 15 Oct 2025MASOUD vs McGRAIL HEADLINES BLOCKBUSTER MONTE-CARLO SHOWDOWN VI CARD ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 – LIVE ON DAZN
Wed, 15 Oct 2025WFM Mendoza seizes lead in 2025 FIDE World Youth Chess Championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 15 Oct 2025YOENLI HERNANDEZ KNOCKS OUT RAMON DELACRUZ SENA IN FIRST ROUND OF MAIN EVENT OF FISTS OF FURY 8
Wed, 15 Oct 2025BEN WHITTAKER TITLE SHOT CONFIRMED WITH PRESS CONFERENCE THIS FRIDAY
Wed, 15 Oct 2025GOLDEN BOY ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST AMATEUR TALENT IN CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO
Wed, 15 Oct 2025SHANNON RYAN: I'M READY TO BRING 'KAOS' TO YORK HALL THIS WEEK
Wed, 15 Oct 2025Nikita Tszyu Health Update
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 15 Oct 2025THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 13 OCTOBER 2025: Ennis Wipes Out Lima; Vianello Defeats Barriere; Makhmudov Outpoits Allen
By Eric Armit, Tue, 14 Oct 2025Omar Juarez Set for Homecoming Clash Against Omar Rosario on October 18 i
Tue, 14 Oct 2025