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IDK about all that! I'm disappointed that Rafael didn't express much outrage, but I do remember this:
January 7, 2012:
Blame Arum for no Pac-Floyd fight
Dan Rafael
ESPN
It looms as boxing's richest fight ever, and the public has demanded it for the past few years. But forget the public, right?
Neither guy is getting any younger, and it's a rarity for the two best fighters in the sport -- two of the greatest of all time -- to be fighting in the same division in the same era.
But their summit meeting hasn't happened, and with every day that goes by, I think the chances of it ever happening are less and less.
Friday's turn of events made that pretty clear. There have been previous negotiations and lots of rhetoric. At various times throughout this whole ordeal, I believe both sides have been to blame.
But at this moment, the fault of a fight not being made falls squarely on the shoulders of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who, in my view, simply doesn't want to make the match at a moment when there seems to be no legitimate impediment.
Arum doesn't want to match his cash cow, Pacquiao, with somebody he doesn't control, and he has no control over Mayweather. He once did, but that was years ago, before their nasty breakup.
Arum is also a smart boxing guy, as are his matchmakers, Brad "Abdul" Goodman and Bruce Trampler. They know Pacquiao would be the underdog, especially given how he looked in his controversial majority decision win in November against Juan Manuel Marquez, whom Mayweather thoroughly dominated when they fought in September 2009. Arum and his people know there is a strong possibility Pacquiao will lose if he ever fights Mayweather.
If Pacquiao did fight Mayweather and lose, he could certainly go on. But at this stage of his career, a loss might send Pacquiao deeper into politics in the Philippines, where he is already a congressman, and that would mean no more Pacquiao fights -- or at least only sporadic fights -- for Arum to make millions on.
It was just this week that Arum said he would go to the Philippines to meet with Pacquiao and present him with the names of four possible opponents for May or June: Miguel Cotto, Marquez, Lamont Peterson and Timothy Bradley Jr.
Arum figured Mayweather would be in jail and off the table. Now that Mayweather is available and seemingly would like to make the match, Arum suddenly isn't interested.
He used the lame excuse of the cut Pacquiao suffered against Marquez, saying he might not be ready for May. (I've never heard of a cut taking more than six months to heal.) However, earlier this week, when Arum thought Mayweather would be on ice behind bars, he said there was a good possibility Pacquiao would fight in May.
Moments after Mayweather was granted the continuance, Arum changed his tune.
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...yweather-fight
The only thing I might add, is that Top Rank didn't have a deal with ESPN at that time! I still like Fat Dan, but he's so used to Arum saying insane things, that I think he just brushed it off! Not a good look, and not a good time!
January 7, 2012:
Blame Arum for no Pac-Floyd fight
Dan Rafael
ESPN
It looms as boxing's richest fight ever, and the public has demanded it for the past few years. But forget the public, right?
Neither guy is getting any younger, and it's a rarity for the two best fighters in the sport -- two of the greatest of all time -- to be fighting in the same division in the same era.
But their summit meeting hasn't happened, and with every day that goes by, I think the chances of it ever happening are less and less.
Friday's turn of events made that pretty clear. There have been previous negotiations and lots of rhetoric. At various times throughout this whole ordeal, I believe both sides have been to blame.
But at this moment, the fault of a fight not being made falls squarely on the shoulders of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who, in my view, simply doesn't want to make the match at a moment when there seems to be no legitimate impediment.
Arum doesn't want to match his cash cow, Pacquiao, with somebody he doesn't control, and he has no control over Mayweather. He once did, but that was years ago, before their nasty breakup.
Arum is also a smart boxing guy, as are his matchmakers, Brad "Abdul" Goodman and Bruce Trampler. They know Pacquiao would be the underdog, especially given how he looked in his controversial majority decision win in November against Juan Manuel Marquez, whom Mayweather thoroughly dominated when they fought in September 2009. Arum and his people know there is a strong possibility Pacquiao will lose if he ever fights Mayweather.
If Pacquiao did fight Mayweather and lose, he could certainly go on. But at this stage of his career, a loss might send Pacquiao deeper into politics in the Philippines, where he is already a congressman, and that would mean no more Pacquiao fights -- or at least only sporadic fights -- for Arum to make millions on.
It was just this week that Arum said he would go to the Philippines to meet with Pacquiao and present him with the names of four possible opponents for May or June: Miguel Cotto, Marquez, Lamont Peterson and Timothy Bradley Jr.
Arum figured Mayweather would be in jail and off the table. Now that Mayweather is available and seemingly would like to make the match, Arum suddenly isn't interested.
He used the lame excuse of the cut Pacquiao suffered against Marquez, saying he might not be ready for May. (I've never heard of a cut taking more than six months to heal.) However, earlier this week, when Arum thought Mayweather would be on ice behind bars, he said there was a good possibility Pacquiao would fight in May.
Moments after Mayweather was granted the continuance, Arum changed his tune.
http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/i...yweather-fight
The only thing I might add, is that Top Rank didn't have a deal with ESPN at that time! I still like Fat Dan, but he's so used to Arum saying insane things, that I think he just brushed it off! Not a good look, and not a good time!
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