Is Bob Arum looking to cash out with Manny Pacquiao?

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Is Bob Arum looking to cash out with Manny Pacquiao?
April 25th, 2014
By Mohammad Malik: It was recently reported by The La Times that the Golden Boy President, Oscar De La Hoya, is talking to the founder and CEO of Top Rank, Bob Arum, and he’s interested in pursuing a super-bout between Manny Pacquiao and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. You can read the full article below:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow ... z2zuDgzv9G

First of all, I was surprised to read that they are even thinking about doing business together after Bob Arum’s rant at Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley’s press conference at the MGM.

It certainly makes sense in terms of business, and there is no doubt that the fight would draw a large audience.

Obviously, the fight everybody really wants to see is Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Manny Pacquiaco. But Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not directly under contract with the Golden Boy promotions, and given the recent history between Top Rank and Floyd Mayweather Jr., I certainly wouldn’t bet on that fight becoming a reality in the near future.
The next biggest fight these two promoters can make is Manny Pacquiao versus Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. I don’t know if it would surpass the 2 million mark like the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight, but I can see it coming close. We have to remember that the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Saul “Canelo” Alvarez card had another big fight as the co main event: Danny Garcia versus Lucas Matthyssee.

Nonetheless, it is safe to say that it would be a successful event if it were to take place. But is it the smartest decision to throw Manny Pacquiao in the ring with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez? Maybe, Bob Arum is a step or two ahead of the curve and knows that he doesn’t have much time left before Manny Pacquiao is beaten again.

The numbers don’t lie and it is easy to see that Manny Pacquiao’s stock has clearly plummeted. He is not drawing the same number of viewers, and he has not looked unbeatable in a very long time. Juan Manuel Marquez has also not shown any great deal of interest in fighting Manny Pacquiao for the 5th time, plus, that would be a very risky fight. What would Bob Arum do with Manny Pacquiao if he were to lose to Marquez again? I don’t think he would have many options left. If the fight against Brandon Rios only drew 475,000 buys, then one can imagine how a fight against someone like Jesse Vargas would do.

Manny Pacquiao would have no choice but to retire. There is no argument that Manny Pacquiao is a legend. But at this point in his career; Saul “Canelo” Alvarez presents too much risk. If a light hitting Timothy Bradley can hurt Manny Pacquiao, then imagine, what Saul “Canelo Alvarez would do? I do think the old Manny Pacquiao would have schooled Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but the current Manny Pacquiao is lacking the killer instinct that made him the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. He would have take to take some hard shots at some point during the fight.

Plus, Manny Pacquiao only rehydrates 5-6 pounds after the weigh in, but on the other hand, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez reportedly steps in the ring weighing around 175 pounds. That means he would outweigh Manny Pacquiao by at least 20-25 pounds on the fight night. Yes, they can agree on a catch weight, but I still don’t think it would make much of a difference.

I really think Bob Arum is looking at the big picture by taking the ‘high risk high reward’ approach. A win against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez would propel Manny Pacquiao back to the old heights, and that would again shift the pressure in Floyd Mayweather’s court for the mega fight (Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao). A loss may still leave the door open for a 5th fight against Marquez, but at the very least, Bob Arum would know that he milked it for all it’s worth.


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