By Steve Kim

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum has reacted to some statements that were posted earlier today on BoxingScene.com.

Eric Gomez, VP of Golden Boy Promotions, was discussing the September 17th return of Mexican superstar Saul  'Canelo'Alvarez (47-1-1, 33KOs).

According to Gomez, they would have loved to match Canelo in a big pay-per-view fight with the recently retired Manny Pacquiao - but there was only one problem, Gomez's company was advised that Pacquiao was already committed to another fight.

Gomez revealed that his company was told that Pacquiao had a deal in place to face former four division world champion Adrien Broner.

 "We're close to finalizing an opponent. We have a short list. We're very close. We'll be announcing it shortly but one of the guys we were interested in was (Manny) Pacquiao. We'd love to do a Pacquiao fight but from what we hear he has a deal to fight Adrien Broner," Gomez told BoxingScene.com.

Arum, who retains the promotional rights to Pacquiao, rejected Gomez's statements and claims the Golden Boy executive is creating excuses to avoid heavy backlash from the possibility of Canelo facing WBO 154-pound champion Liam Smith of the UK - who Arum confidently believes is the actual opponent for the fall.

"The fact is they never called us about a Pacquiao fight, which means they should stay away from who Pacquiao's going to fight next or if he's going to fight next. It wasn't a situation where they said, 'We didn't go after Pacquiao to fight 'Canelo' because Pacquiao already has an opponent' - that's bullsh*t," Arum said to BoxingScene.com.

"We still don't have an opponent. We're working on possible opponents but again, they are fighting Liam Smith and looking for 1,700 different excuses to justify a Liam Smith fight, which is the height of idiodicy. I mean, Liam Smith isn't even the best fighter in his family."

OK, but among the deep roster of Smith brothers that fight, does he crack the top five in Arum's opinion?

"I think he's three in his family," Arum said when comparing Liam to brothers Callum Smith, Paul Smith and Stephen Smith.

But is Pacquiao considering a return to the ring?

"I have no idea," answered Arum. "Manny has no idea. He just got sworn into the Senate and he has to see what his career looks like."

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.