Arum: Canelo vs. Pacquiao-Bradley Winner Makes Sense

By Rick Reeno

MGM Grand, Las Vegas - Two weeks ago, Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya played down the possibility of a future fight between Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao.

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, is very interested in making that fight - if the Filipino star decides to continue his career beyond tonight's trilogy showdown with Timothy Bradley.

Canelo (46-1-1, 32KOs) will defend his WBC middleweight title against Amir Khan at a catch-weight of 155-pounds on May 7th from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

"I heard Bob Arum wanted to talk to me about making Pacquiao-Canelo, but hey, I think that train has already left the station," De La Hoya said.

"Canelo will now fight the guy that Pacquiao didn't want to fight, the guy that Mayweather didn't want to fight. Canelo is fighting with Amir Khan, and after that we have to discuss other big names there at 160 pounds, including Triple G."

Despite that commentary, Arum looks forward to sitting down with De La Hoya to discuss the idea of matching Canelo against the winner of tonight's fight.

"I like Oscar. Oscar is a good guy. He has to become experienced to understand that his words have consequences and to think out what he says before he says it. It's taken me 50 years to learn," Arum told BoxingScene.com.

"Obviously it makes sense to make Canelo against the winner of this fight [between Pacquiao and Bradley]. Oscar would be the first one to agree. And if the train has left the station - then we'll back the train up."

"I know what Oscar is doing, I know how to read the kid. What he's saying is - 'what the f*** are you talking about? Canelo fighting the winner? I have to sell a fight between Canelo and Khan.' That's what he should have said - 'first we have to fight Khan, it's a difficult fight.' That's what he should have said, but he said it the wrong way. I'm used to boxers saying things the wrong way. I've lived through it this whole entire promotion [for Pacquaio-Bradley III]."

If Canelo wins next month, he is obligated to make a mandatory defense against IBO/WBA/IBF middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin in the fall.

However, Arum is confident that fight will not come off in 2016.

"That fight will never happen," Arum said.