By Lem Satterfield
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was fired up after reading some of the recent comments that appeared on BoxingScene.com from Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum. The promotional rivalry reached another level last week when WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire announced that he was leaving Top Rank and signed a promotional agreement with Golden Boy. The promotional status of Donaire will be decided in a court of law, as Top Rank claims to hold a valid contract on the boxer, and they are going to exercise their legal right to enforce it.
Arum, who recently arrived in the Philippines to spend a few days in Manny Pacquiao's training camp, discussed the topic of Donaire, and his wife Rachel, with local reporters. Arum was critical of Donaire's move to Golden Boy, and threw a few jabs at Rachel in retaliation to certain comments that she made regarding the clothing of Jinkee Pacquiao, the wife of Manny.
"I don't think the Filipino people like him," Arum said. "And that is largely because of [Rachel]. She criticizes the way Jinkee dresses and she is all tarted up...Jinkee dresses like a lady.. Facts are facts. He is not a pay per view fightrer. Filipinos don't support him. When we put him on pay per view, we did no buys. When he fought [Fernando] Montiel, it was all Mexicans [at Mandalay Bay]. He has not connected with the Filipinos."
Schaefer, who usually stays away from trading words with Arum, was very vocal when discussing the above referenced subject matter.
"Some people were calling me and asking me if I wanted to make any comments about these recent rants from Bob Arum about Nonito Donaire and Rachel Donaire. I haven't called anybody back, but I do want to make a statement. Basically, I have been reading these rants from Bob Arum, just like everybody else has been reading about Nonito and Rachel Donaire," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
"And, I really think that it is disgusting to read these very damaging statements from Bob Arum about both Nonito and Rachel. But as they always say, the true colors always come out. And, you know, yet again, Bob Arum shows what kind of low life that he is."
"Making these derogatory remarks about Rachel's, 'Young, hip and fashionable style,' just shows you that the dinosaur is out of touch. The bottom line is that these kinds of stupid remarks -- and that's what they really are -- they are not just stupid, but they are vicious and totally uncalled for."
Schaefer believes Arum is hostile towards Rachel because of the role she played in her husband's promotional jump to Golden Boy.
"Bob Arum does not like it when someone looks out for a fighter, and this case, it is the fighter's wife, Rachel Donaire, who is looking out for her husband to make sure that he's not being taken advantage of," Schaefer said.
"There is nothing negative about that. In fact, maybe other wives should take a page out of this book and do the same thing. So for Bob Arum to make comments to the effect that, in the Philippines, the culture calls for women or wives not to engage in this type of positive behavior is further insult to the Filipino women. Really, this is just totally disgusting, but, to be honest, not at all totally surprising. As they say, however, a leopard never changes its spots."
The Golden CEO also had a few words pertaining to Arum's feelings on Donaire's worth as a pay-per-view fighter, and his inability to connect with the Filipino people.
"As it relates to Bob Arum's attacks on Nonito, Bob Arum has demonstrated that he obviously does not think very highly of Nonito and believes that his talents and skills are very limited," Schaefer said.
"What fighter wants to have a promoter who trashes him like this in public? Nonito is not only one of the best and most exciting fighters in the world, but, also, you can pretty much ask any media member or any fan. But we believe that and Golden Boy Promotions really believes in him."