by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has revealed that he and Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran are prepared to stage the fifth battle between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in Mexico this September.
Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard “we’re saving Mexico for September” even as he indicated Beltran was “not of a mind to go make money for a Manny fight now in Mexico and there’s nothing I can do.”
Pacquiao has said he is keen on returning to the ring in April following his crushing 6th round knockout at the hands of Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last December 8.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz is in the meantime in Singapore trying to work out a deal for a fight for the eight division world champion in April but Arum is doubtful it will happen.
Arum said Top Rank president Todd duBeof visited Singapore “and was not able to get anything going that makes any sense.”
He said Macau was a real possibility and told us “we could have gotten something going but unfortunately the dates were not available” at the Venetian because of bookings by a Korean pop star.
He said the only date available was April 1 but “you could not do pay-per-view because it’s the big college basketball so that knocked it out.”
