By Michael Marley
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, who it must be conceded is one of the two best 79-year old boxing promoters extant, thinks that disappointed Manny Pacquiao "suitor" Juan Manuel Marquez is either woefully misinformed or financially illiterate.
Juan Manuel, the Mexican counterpuncher now making some waves as a boxing commentator in his homeland, was angling for a third bout against archrival Pacman. But Arum said he recieved much lower purse bids from both unbeaten Andre Berto and bigger name Sugar Shane Mosley and so the Pinoy Idol will fight Mosley May 7 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Here's what Marquez told Jhonny Gonzalez of Boxingscene.com:
"We accepted everything they put on the table, including the weight, and then they were requesting that Golden Boy Promotions stays away from the negotiations. All of their conditions were accepted, but they refused. It was one thing after another... nothing but excuses," Marquez said.
In other words, Marquez said Arum's persistent stance that the fighter overpriced himself are wicked lies.
"I don't know what Marquez is talking about," Arum said Friday by phone from Las Vegas, "and neither does he. The package they (Golden Boy) wanted was more than double what Marquez got fighting Mayweather, a fight he lost. It was absolutely double that amount.
"For Floyd, Marquez earned $3.2 million plus a dollar for every PPV TV home above a million buys. That overage only got him another $20,000. So now, for Manny, they demanded a package of $5 million guaranteed and $5 more for every buy over 500,000 homes."
Believe Arum or not, he claims he's got it all in writing, the back and forth with Golden Boy. (By the way, Juan also picked up $600,000 when Mayweather came in two pounds heavier than agreed to.)
"This is irrefutable because it was all done on e-mail. There's no doubt here. This is not a he said, she said, you said - it's all in the e-mails," Arum said.
Finanical wizardry has never been part of the Marquez camp as evidenced by Arum's experience as the promoter for Juan back in 2006.
Marquez and manager-trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain were offered a career-high purse of $750,000 for a second bout against Pacman. The Mexicans demanded double that to match what they believed Pacquiao was being paid.
The rematch was not made and Marquez made a foolish trip for a foolish fight in a parking lot in Indonesia where, for a measly $35,000, he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to formidable homeboy Chris John.
I touched on other topics in my first 2011 Arum rundown, as follows:
Tickets for Mosley-Pacquiao will go on sale in about 10 days.
The press tour will include regular stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and will add San Francisco and--get this--a Washington, DC, presser hosted by Arum pal and Democratic Senate Whip Harry Reid.
"It's only fitting that the Congressman has a presser in our nation's capital," Arum said. "We'll do it at some nice restaurant. We'll even invite (new House Majority Leader and Republican) John Boehner, why not?"
Arum is not ready to disclose what other world title bouts he will load on to the May 7 show, revealing only that they will be "multiple and sensational."
Arum said Pacquiao is rested and refreshed after family holidays in both Japan and Australia.
"Manny had a great vacation and soon he'll be ready to work on both jobs, as a fighter and in Congress."
According to Arum, the agreed to weight for Marquez-Pacquiao III was the welterweight limit, 147 pounds.
