By Radio Rahim
In a recent interview on BoxingScene.com, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum revealed that former four-division champion Adrien Broner (32-2, 24KOs) had requested too much money for a potential fall pay-per-view showdown against a returning Manny Pacquiao.
According to Arum, Pacquiao would return on October 29th or November 5th.
Top Rank had initially placed a hold on the Mandalay Bay Events Center for October 15th, but that date creates a conflict with Pacquiao's political schedule back in the Philippines.
Arum stepped back a bit on the notion that Broner priced himself out, because it implies that Broner was not interested in the fight. To better describe the situation, Arum says Broner simply asked for more money than Top Rank or Team Pacquiao was able to provide.
"What I meant to say, because I want to be fair about this.... that Broner's financial demands were... we were not capable of meeting those financial demands. It made no sense for us to pay Broner what he was asking for - because everything that we would pay Broner would come out of Manny Pacquiao's pockets," Arum told BoxingScene.com.
"I had a good experience with [Broner's manager] Al Haymon, who tried to make the fight happen - but it was all on what Broner was asking for and what Manny would give up. And I couldn't ask Manny to sacrifice that much money to please Broner. I just didn't think it was right and they didn't want to do it. So the fight couldn't happen. It happens all the time in business."
"The price that Broner was asking was for, was too expensive for us. But to say Broner priced himself out is not accurate, because it almost implies that he asked for a number that he knew we wouldn't meet so he didn't have to do the fight. I didn't think that was the case. I think he wanted to do the fight, but the amount that he was asking for was something that we couldn't afford."
Broner recently took to social media and lashed out at the veteran promoter.
"F*** Bob Arum. Pay me what I deserve bitch. You been trying to sign me anyway, lame," Broner said.
Arum is not bothered by the comments. In his 50-years in the boxing business, he's been called a lot worse.
"Yes I was aware of [what Broner said]. I'm not going to respond to someone like Broner, that's rather silly. I'm telling you what happened. As far as trying to sign Broner, that was a number of years ago when he wasn't under contract with anybody, and James Price arranged a meeting with Broner and myself. And we had a meeting, but that was like four or five years ago. I don't know what that has to do with the man in the moon. If he's saying 'well he wanted to sign me, so he felt that I was a good fighter' - the answer is 'yeah; that's true' and so what," Arum said.
"Im a big boy. I've been in this business for over 50 years. Some of the attacks directed in my way, were a lot worse than Adrien Broner. I mean he should take lessons from some of the guys who attacked me."