ARUM BELIEVES PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER FIGHT WILL HAPPEN NEXT YEAR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 27 Aug 2014
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes the fight boxing fans around the world have been clamoring for over the past few years between ?Fighter of the Decade? Manny Pacquiao and undefeated pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr will eventually happen.
In a brief interview with Australian promoter Peter Maniatis in Shanghai, the astute promoter said ?I make it to happen next year.?
However, Arum conceded one of the difficulties is that Pacquiao is tied up with HBO Sports and Mayweather with smaller rival Showtime. He said they have to ?find a way to promote and satisfy both sides from a legal basis? but told us before they were able to reach an agreement when Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson on June 8, 2002.
The fight which was promoted by Main Events at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee was a pay-per-view blockbuster which was shown as a joint collaboration between HBO and Showtime.
Pacquiao fought on the undercard and scored a 2nd round demolition of Jorge Eliecer Julio to successfully defend his IBF super bantamweight title.
Arum was quoted by Boxing Scene saying ?with Showtime and HBO wanting the fight and Manny wanting the fight, there is one little step to take and that?s to see where Floyd (Mayweather Jr) stands.?
The confidence of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight being made stems from the vastly improved relations between Arum?s Top Rank Promotions and Oscar de la Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotions following the resignation of Golden Boy?s CEO Richard Schafer who was at odds with Arum and Maywether?s remarks that he wouldn?t fight Pacquiao as long as Arum was involved.
But that has apparently changed and speculation over the eagerly-awaited but long-delayed showdown taking place was further fueled by Mayweather when he said he would make a surprise announcement about his next fight in May 2015 after his September 23 title rematch against Marcos Maidana.
Internationally renowned cut-man Miguel Diaz who works in Pacquiao?s corner said that should Pacquiao overcome the challenge of WBO light welterweight champion Chris Algieri on November 22, he would, like everybody else, stating ?that?s not the fight I want to see. That?s the fight that everyone wants to see. Its been like three or four years that for different situations the fight didn?t happen but if all the constellations line-up why not. It?s a great fight.?
Pacquiao who is in Shanghai on the second stop of a media tour to promote his WBO welterweight title defense against light welterweight champion Chris Algieri in a 144 pound catch-weight title bout said he has always been ready to fight Mayweather but added, ?the question is for their camp because anytime we are willing to fight.?
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