By Michael Marley
So maybe the love in bloom between Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy Promotions on one side and usually bitter archrival Bob Arum and Top Rank on the other won't last beyond Labor Day.
Maybe it's a summer thing, a summer fling. Cue up the old weeper, “Will I See You In September?”
I don't know.
But what I do know is that the formally, written by the Golden lawyers apology to Manny Pacquiao for drug cheating allegations will be released on Tuesday, the first business day after the Monday Memorial Day holiday.
That is the precursor to Pacquiao dropping his defamation lawsuit against Golden Boy. That litigation may continue with defendants last name Mayweather but GBP will be off the legal hook.
History tells us the hail fellow well met, cooperative attitude between the Vegas based Top Rank and the LA based Golden Boy will be sorely tested soon enough.
But I think the timing of their business rapproachment is excellent. I say, from the fight fan's viewpoint, the best thing is just lay back and let this scenario unfold.
If nothing else, the new social lubrication between the companies could set the stage for a serious and not spurious attempt to make the Dream Fight between Pacman and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Certainly, the Big Bout won't take place until 2012 and, by then, it will now or never time.
In the meantime, in between time, TR and GBP can start pitting their best fighters against each other and, since both companies are doing business with TV rivals Showtime and HBO, they may be able to extract maximum dollars for young talents such as Vicious Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero (GBP) and Brandon Rios and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (TR).
I don't know if the weight differential can ever be worked out but, in the spirit of abandoning all the old hatred and acrimony, it would be pretty cool to see the two promoters make a Chavez-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez Mexican titanic match.
Golden Boy has its hand in Pacman's pocket anyway regardless of who Megamanny fights.
Surely there are ways for GBP and TR to whack up the revenues to make the best fights they can between their respective fighters.
This could work out like interleague play in baseball, Top Rank can be the American League and the Goldens can be the National League.
HBO dropped the ball in giving Golden Boy that foolish “output” deal with guaranteed TV dates for fights that were not promised let alone guaranteed.
Both HBO and Showtime can operate on a bout by bout merit system.
I don't care how Golden Boy and Top Rank got there and neither should you.
Their cooperative efforts can put put better product in the ring on both of the prime cable networks.
To tell the truth, neither company has a lineup like the 1927 New York Yankees.
Neither company has an array of superstars, back to back to back.
They don't have to hold hands, to bill and coo, that is not not necessary.
But a pragmatic alliance between the two?
The timing is right and let's not worry about how long it lasts.
I don't know about you but I'd rather watch Pacman take on a live wire like Vicious Victor than to watch another Clottey, another Margarito, another faded Mosley.
If Floyd still wants to duck and dodge the Main Man-ny, Pacman needs cannon fodder.
Mayweather's smartest play would for him to corral Ortiz as his tune up foe right now and then go after Pacman.
But maybe the new TR-GBP alliance will make it so that Pacman can grab southpaw Ortiz first.
It won't be the first or last time that Pacquiao beats Mayweather to the punch.