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Bob Arum on Pacquiao-Mayweather fight: 'No more excuses'
Bob Arum on Pacquiao-Mayweather fight: 'No more excuses'
November 23, 2014 5:54pm
MACAU ***8212; Moments after Manny Pacquiao's successful defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, his promoter Bob Arum revealed that he will sit down and wait for his phone to ring.
Arum, the 82-year old Top Rank CEO, said the much-awaited fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is just a phone call away after the eight-division world champion dominated Chris Algieri in a 12-round showdown Sunday at the Cotai Arena inside The Venetian here.
"People are asking me what will I do after the fight," he said during the post-fight press conference. "With this fight over, I will sit down and answer the telephone. As simple as that. I think the fight should happen and all the non-sense has to cease."
The Pacquiao-Mayweather affair has been a raging issue for the past five years. But with the Mayweather camp throwing various obstacles ranging from drug testing to division of the purse, not to mention personal grudges, negotiations have repeatedly collapsed, with both fighters settling for other opponents.
And with Pacquiao scoring a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Algieri, Arum said it's now safe to say that his next opponent will be Mayweather in the biggest, richest fight in the history of the sport.
"There is no more excuses," he said. "I will sit next to my phone starting tomorrow and wait for a call that will change the course of boxing history. We're all ready. There's no reason not to get it done."
Arum, in a statement earlier this week, revealed that a distinguished group of businessmen, led by CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves, is seriously brokering a deal that would put the world's two most popular fighters on the same ring.
The negotiation is already in full swing and a deal is expected to be reached early next year with Moonves' Showtime entering into a pact with HBO to co-produce the fight. Mayweather has a standing contract with Showtime while Pacquiao is still under HBO.
Pacquiao agreed with Arum, saying that the fight should happen, not for him, but for millions of fans who have raised a strong clamor.
"People deserve the fight," said Pacquiao, a slugger who perfectly complements Mayweather's defense-oriented ring tactic. "This fight deserves to happen. It's been a long time. So many people have already been asking for it."
Then, as Arum takes back the microphone, Pacquiao butted in and unleashed a dialogue taken from his latest television commercial about a possible fight with Mayweather.
"What, he's fighting me!?"
Then, he laughed.
Obviously, he is happy with the way things are panning out. ***8212; STR/JST, GMA News
November 23, 2014 5:54pm
MACAU ***8212; Moments after Manny Pacquiao's successful defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, his promoter Bob Arum revealed that he will sit down and wait for his phone to ring.
Arum, the 82-year old Top Rank CEO, said the much-awaited fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is just a phone call away after the eight-division world champion dominated Chris Algieri in a 12-round showdown Sunday at the Cotai Arena inside The Venetian here.
"People are asking me what will I do after the fight," he said during the post-fight press conference. "With this fight over, I will sit down and answer the telephone. As simple as that. I think the fight should happen and all the non-sense has to cease."
The Pacquiao-Mayweather affair has been a raging issue for the past five years. But with the Mayweather camp throwing various obstacles ranging from drug testing to division of the purse, not to mention personal grudges, negotiations have repeatedly collapsed, with both fighters settling for other opponents.
And with Pacquiao scoring a lopsided unanimous decision victory over Algieri, Arum said it's now safe to say that his next opponent will be Mayweather in the biggest, richest fight in the history of the sport.
"There is no more excuses," he said. "I will sit next to my phone starting tomorrow and wait for a call that will change the course of boxing history. We're all ready. There's no reason not to get it done."
Arum, in a statement earlier this week, revealed that a distinguished group of businessmen, led by CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves, is seriously brokering a deal that would put the world's two most popular fighters on the same ring.
The negotiation is already in full swing and a deal is expected to be reached early next year with Moonves' Showtime entering into a pact with HBO to co-produce the fight. Mayweather has a standing contract with Showtime while Pacquiao is still under HBO.
Pacquiao agreed with Arum, saying that the fight should happen, not for him, but for millions of fans who have raised a strong clamor.
"People deserve the fight," said Pacquiao, a slugger who perfectly complements Mayweather's defense-oriented ring tactic. "This fight deserves to happen. It's been a long time. So many people have already been asking for it."
Then, as Arum takes back the microphone, Pacquiao butted in and unleashed a dialogue taken from his latest television commercial about a possible fight with Mayweather.
"What, he's fighting me!?"
Then, he laughed.
Obviously, he is happy with the way things are panning out. ***8212; STR/JST, GMA News
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