By Ronnie Nathanielsz
MANILA, Philippines -- A fight with Shane Mosley will generate the most money for Manny Pacquiao.
Promoter Bob Arum stressed this on Tuesday as he pursued a showdown with three-division world champion Mosley for Pacquiao’s next fight likely to take place in May, not April as originally planned.
Aside from generating the most money, Arum said a Pacquiao-Mosley fight would be tougher compared to a confrontation with either Andre Berto or Juan Manuel Marquez.
The final choice, however, would still be Pacquiao’s call.
Arum said he and trainer Freddie Roach “are going to meet with Pacquiao tonight (Tuesday) and we are going to discuss everything with him and hopefully get everything straightened out. It’s going to be interesting because we are going to talk to Manny about the future.”
The change in date looms large because, according to Arum, “the pay-per-view people, the cable systems and the satellite dish companies are asking us to do the fight in the first week of May because it would enhance our revenues.”
In the early morning interview with BoxingScene.com/Philippine Daily Inquirer, Arum said an overwhelming number of sports fans would want Pacquiao to fight Mosley, who has emerged as the most popular challenger to the eight-division Filipino world champ.
According to Arum, his research has shown that 80 percent of the pay-per-view people are general sports fans and not pure boxing fans and the Mosley PPV will generate the most interest and money.
Roach, who arrived with Arum from Los Angeles on Tuesday, backed Arum’s contention.
Roach said the PPV numbers in the Mayweather-Mosley fight were “outrageous.”
