Immediately following Manny Pacquiao’s upset loss to Timothy Bradley last month in Las Vegas, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was extremely livid. Addressing the media at the post-fight press conference inside of the MGM Grand’s media center, Arum couldn’t fathom how two of the three 115-113 scorecards could have went in Bradley’s direction and in the following days he even motioned to have an investigation into how the controversial decision unfolded.
Weeks later and with Nevada’s attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto ruling that a criminal case would not be pursued after finding no wrongdoing taking place by the panel of officials, Arum is left with a bad aftertaste from the Pacquiao-Bradley melee yet understands he must still move forward with his other obligations for his company.
“Life goes on,” Arum would mutter to me as we spoke as the Nonito Donaire-Jeffrey Mathebula weigh-in on Friday afternoon at the Marriott in Manhattan Beach, California.
While Arum initially claimed that there would be no public appeal in a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch, he has since listened to the eight-division champion from the Philippines tell him just how badly he wants to extract revenge upon Bradley for handing him his fourth professional defeat in such a tainted fashion.
Asked if he was now in a bit of a quandary, Arum insisted that he will look to satisfy Pacquiao's desires before anything else.
“I’m Manny Pacquiao’s promoter and whatever Manny Pacquiao wants we’ll do,” said Arum.
Tim Bradley and his team, specifically trainer Joel Diaz, who has claimed to have received death threats in wake of the controversial bout, have both admitted that it has been hard to savor a victory with so much backlash still coming in.
Arum was questioned as to whether he felt sympathy for Team Bradley for being caught up in the negativity but he wasn’t exactly heartbroken.
“I feel sorry for them too but there are victories and there are victories,” claimed Arum, being sly with his response.
The last volley on this subject sent Arum’s way was about what the future holds for Bradley, who now moves forward as the WBO belt holder at 147 pounds. If a Pacquiao rematch doesn’t come off, there is some definite uncertainty as to what direction the Palm Springs, California fighter takes and Arum makes sure to offer up as much praise as he could given the circumstances.
“He’s very marketable, very promotable, and whatever happens, he’s a terrific fighter. But it is what it is," said Arum.
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Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com, www.Twitter.com/CRHarmony, and www.Youtube.com/CRHarmony
