Last year, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum was very interested in making a fight between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and former four division beltholder Adrien Broner.
The two sides were unable to reach a financial agreement. Arum claimed Broner was asking for more money than the fight was worth - and Broner claimed Arum sent over a lowball offer.
Pacquiao is now scheduled to return on July 1 [July 2 in Australia], when he faces heavy underdog Jeff Horn at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
On Monday it was announced that Pacquiao defense against Horn would be televised on ESPN as part of a new television deal with Top Rank.
Broner ridiculed the announcement, stating that a fighter like Pacquiao is too big of a name to be fighting on ESPN - describing the announcement as a downgrade for the Filipino superstar.
Broner is scheduled for a dangerous assignment on July 29th, when he takes on undefeated three division world champion Mikey Garcia in a Showtime televised main event from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
If he defeats Garcia, he says Arum needs to pick up the phone and make the fight with Pacquiao happen - in order to help Pacquiao regain his footing on pay-per-view.
"Pacquiao need me. Pacquiao, give me a call man," Broner said to CBS Sports. "Bob Arum, y'all need me. It's not looking too good if y'all fighting back on ESPN man."
Broner confidently believes that a win over Garcia will add a lot of fuel to a year-end showdown with Pacquiao - and he thinks the deal could certainly happen if both of them do the business in their upcoming fights.
"Yes, and I think after my great performance on July 29, I think that will spark the fuel with me and Pacquiao. And I think that we are going to make it happen," Broner said.