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January 6, 2010
Boxing Examiner
Michael Marley
Update: A phone call answered by Bubbly Bob Arum at 3:57 pm EST was brief.
"I can't talk," Arum said.
Then I heard that familiar clicking sound.
My train then pulled out of New Haven bound for Manhattan. Is the boxing train pulling out of the station without Mayweather versus Pacquiao?
I don't think so or they never would've come back for Round 2 of mediation.
But what do I know?
Warning: All contents below are R rated, the letter standing for rumors as they are flying fast and furious from the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mediation in Santa Monica.
INJURY: Doctors are not sure yet what the extent of the damage is but a persistent rumor has it that bombastic Bob Arum, his former promoter, had the nerve, the audacity, the utter gall to yell across the table at Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya during Tuesday's session in front of former state judge Daniel Weinstein.
Word has it that, like a child throwing a temper tantrum, the 78-year-old head of Top Rank was ejected from the room and made to sit in a corner for a lengthy "time out." Other than a slightly bruised ego, Oscar appears to be fine according the guy who delivered the lunchtime sandwiches and coffee.
NO SUBSTITUTES: Both host MGM Grand and TV partner HBO are said to be turning a deaf ear -- no, make that two deaf ears -- to any chatter about Floyd fighting Paulie Malignaggi and Pacman fighting Yuri Foreman. Despite what I wrote this morning, I now am convinced that neither of the tune-ups, which could easily become tune outs, will happen before Floyd-Manny occurs (in May).
Arum has not talked to Foreman's crusty manager, Murray Wilson, in a few days and a source in the Philippines said that someone in Manny's inner orbit passed on word to the Foreman camp that he is not interested in fighting the rabbinical student due to a four or five inch heigh difference and Foreman's techbnical boxing style. Pacman is not looking to chase the WBA junior middleweight champ for a fight or during a fight.
Chasing Mayweather around the ring for $40 million makes more sense than chasing Foreman for 25 percent of that. So, despite Arum's barking, Pacman really has no viable foe for an interim bout.
If HBO chief Ross Greenburg has his way, with his powerful corporate checkbook, the next fight for Manny and Floyd is only against each other.
YESTERDAY I LIED, TODAY I AM TELLING THE TRUTH: Cutie pie Arum told me Tuesday night the opposing sides would not meet today (Wedneday). Guess what, he lied through his teetth as the camps are back in Weinstein's JAMS offices right now. Wedneday may be a make a deal or else situation and I say they make the deal, albeit for May rather than March.
MARCH OF TIME: Could they stick to March 13 with a 65 or so day window? At the box office, surely, because this will be an instant sellout and the ticket scalpers will go wild regarding the 18,000 or so seats at the MGM Grand Arena. March or May is likely a call that the MGM and HBO will make and that the promoters will bow to.
More to come as the rumor will works overtime...
Boxing Examiner
Michael Marley
Update: A phone call answered by Bubbly Bob Arum at 3:57 pm EST was brief.
"I can't talk," Arum said.
Then I heard that familiar clicking sound.
My train then pulled out of New Haven bound for Manhattan. Is the boxing train pulling out of the station without Mayweather versus Pacquiao?
I don't think so or they never would've come back for Round 2 of mediation.
But what do I know?
Warning: All contents below are R rated, the letter standing for rumors as they are flying fast and furious from the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mediation in Santa Monica.
INJURY: Doctors are not sure yet what the extent of the damage is but a persistent rumor has it that bombastic Bob Arum, his former promoter, had the nerve, the audacity, the utter gall to yell across the table at Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya during Tuesday's session in front of former state judge Daniel Weinstein.
Word has it that, like a child throwing a temper tantrum, the 78-year-old head of Top Rank was ejected from the room and made to sit in a corner for a lengthy "time out." Other than a slightly bruised ego, Oscar appears to be fine according the guy who delivered the lunchtime sandwiches and coffee.
NO SUBSTITUTES: Both host MGM Grand and TV partner HBO are said to be turning a deaf ear -- no, make that two deaf ears -- to any chatter about Floyd fighting Paulie Malignaggi and Pacman fighting Yuri Foreman. Despite what I wrote this morning, I now am convinced that neither of the tune-ups, which could easily become tune outs, will happen before Floyd-Manny occurs (in May).
Arum has not talked to Foreman's crusty manager, Murray Wilson, in a few days and a source in the Philippines said that someone in Manny's inner orbit passed on word to the Foreman camp that he is not interested in fighting the rabbinical student due to a four or five inch heigh difference and Foreman's techbnical boxing style. Pacman is not looking to chase the WBA junior middleweight champ for a fight or during a fight.
Chasing Mayweather around the ring for $40 million makes more sense than chasing Foreman for 25 percent of that. So, despite Arum's barking, Pacman really has no viable foe for an interim bout.
If HBO chief Ross Greenburg has his way, with his powerful corporate checkbook, the next fight for Manny and Floyd is only against each other.
YESTERDAY I LIED, TODAY I AM TELLING THE TRUTH: Cutie pie Arum told me Tuesday night the opposing sides would not meet today (Wedneday). Guess what, he lied through his teetth as the camps are back in Weinstein's JAMS offices right now. Wedneday may be a make a deal or else situation and I say they make the deal, albeit for May rather than March.
MARCH OF TIME: Could they stick to March 13 with a 65 or so day window? At the box office, surely, because this will be an instant sellout and the ticket scalpers will go wild regarding the 18,000 or so seats at the MGM Grand Arena. March or May is likely a call that the MGM and HBO will make and that the promoters will bow to.
More to come as the rumor will works overtime...
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