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Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) are poised to co-host a proposed November showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton of England. Bob Arum, who heads Top Rank, told the Bulletin yesterday from his Las Vegas home that he talked with GBP Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer last Friday and discussed pitting Pacquiao and Hatton "for November in Las Vegas." Hatton, who has a 44-1-1 win-loss-draw record with 31 knockouts, is under contract with GBP and has stated publicly that Pacquiao, who parades a 46-3-2 mark with 34 stoppages, in on his radar screen.
"It wasn’t about Manny Pacquiao fighting Oscar (De La Hoya) but Manny and Hatton," said Arum, who had a much-publicized verbal tussle with Schaefer a few months ago following Pacquiao’s split decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez, also a GBP fighter. There’s been two occasions when Top Rank, which is based in Las Vegas, and GBP, which has offices in Los Angeles, have co-existed and promoted a fight and these were Pacquiao’s bouts with Marco Antonio Barrera in October 2007 and Marquez only last March.
Arum said that while it has been reported that Hatton is facing American Paul Malignaggi next, the fight is not yet a done deal and plans are afoot for Malignaggi to take a step-aside fee so the Hatton-Pacquiao battle can be worked out. Besides, Arum noted, the New York-bred Malignaggi suffered a broken hand during his last fight last month and might not be that be that fit. For the megabuck match with Hatton to materialize, Arum stressed that Pacquiao should first get past David Diaz, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight titlist, on June 28 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. While Top Rank is looking at Pacquiao’s next fight, Diaz is neck-deep in training in Chicago for this month’s duel with the Filipino southpaw, acknowledged today as the world’s best pound for pound.
"David is ready to go," said long-time publicist Bernie Bahrmasel yesterday. "He’s ready to fight (Pacquiao) tomorrow. I believe he could." "I saw him and talked to him yesterday (Saturday in the US) and he’s doing very good. David expects the best Manny Pacquiao," said Bahrmasel, who was on hand when Diaz opened up training camp for the Pacquiao fight on April 19.
Diaz will hold his pep rally with fans and followers at the JABB Gym in Chicago this Thursday. Diaz, 32, will arrive in Los Angeles on Sunday night in time for Monday’s noontime press conference at the world-famous pier in Santa Monica, just outside Los Angeles. Pacquiao, 29, will also be in attendance and from there, he might go straight to Las Vegas. From the presscon, Team Diaz--made up of the fighter and corner men Jim Strickland and Mike Garcia – will fly to Sin City via Burbank or LAX. "It’s amazing that these two fighters have been very respectful of each other and this is what boxing should be about," said Bahrmasel, implying that the absence of trash-talking between the two d not mean the fight is going to be a yawner. "This is what you call the calm before the storm," he concluded.
"It wasn’t about Manny Pacquiao fighting Oscar (De La Hoya) but Manny and Hatton," said Arum, who had a much-publicized verbal tussle with Schaefer a few months ago following Pacquiao’s split decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez, also a GBP fighter. There’s been two occasions when Top Rank, which is based in Las Vegas, and GBP, which has offices in Los Angeles, have co-existed and promoted a fight and these were Pacquiao’s bouts with Marco Antonio Barrera in October 2007 and Marquez only last March.
Arum said that while it has been reported that Hatton is facing American Paul Malignaggi next, the fight is not yet a done deal and plans are afoot for Malignaggi to take a step-aside fee so the Hatton-Pacquiao battle can be worked out. Besides, Arum noted, the New York-bred Malignaggi suffered a broken hand during his last fight last month and might not be that be that fit. For the megabuck match with Hatton to materialize, Arum stressed that Pacquiao should first get past David Diaz, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight titlist, on June 28 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. While Top Rank is looking at Pacquiao’s next fight, Diaz is neck-deep in training in Chicago for this month’s duel with the Filipino southpaw, acknowledged today as the world’s best pound for pound.
"David is ready to go," said long-time publicist Bernie Bahrmasel yesterday. "He’s ready to fight (Pacquiao) tomorrow. I believe he could." "I saw him and talked to him yesterday (Saturday in the US) and he’s doing very good. David expects the best Manny Pacquiao," said Bahrmasel, who was on hand when Diaz opened up training camp for the Pacquiao fight on April 19.
Diaz will hold his pep rally with fans and followers at the JABB Gym in Chicago this Thursday. Diaz, 32, will arrive in Los Angeles on Sunday night in time for Monday’s noontime press conference at the world-famous pier in Santa Monica, just outside Los Angeles. Pacquiao, 29, will also be in attendance and from there, he might go straight to Las Vegas. From the presscon, Team Diaz--made up of the fighter and corner men Jim Strickland and Mike Garcia – will fly to Sin City via Burbank or LAX. "It’s amazing that these two fighters have been very respectful of each other and this is what boxing should be about," said Bahrmasel, implying that the absence of trash-talking between the two d not mean the fight is going to be a yawner. "This is what you call the calm before the storm," he concluded.
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