Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was just sitting down to a dinner party with friends on his 78th birthday Tuesday evening when he received a call from Golden Boy Promotions' Chief, Richard Schaefer, that made him none too happy.
Arum, Schaefer and HBO Sports President, Ross Greenburg, were scheduled to leave Wednesday for Arlington, Texas, to meet and tour with The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium owner, Jerry Jones, who was bidding to host the March, 13 megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
But Schaefer, acting on Mayweather's behalf, was calling to scuttle the trip.
"I can't figure it out. Richard Schaefer called me Tuesday night. I was getting ready for a party. And he told me that he wasn't going to Dallas," said Arum, whose party was taking place at his home in Las Vegas. "I said, 'Why?' And he said, 'because I don't want to do the fight in an outdoor stadium.'"
The story was first reported by Michael Marley of Examiner.com out of New York.
Arum said that he tried to explain that the Cowboys' $1.2 million, 100,000 capacity facility has a retractable cieling that protects against rain.
"I told him that's not a problem, because the stadium is not outdoors. There's a roof that closes it up. But he says, '**** it,' I'm not going to Texas," said a frustrated Arum -- this after having flown 15 hours to the Philippines last week to meet with Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), and his adviser, Michael Koncz, who agreed in principle to the terms of a deal to fight Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).
"I mean, Jerry Jones made a huge effort to do this fight. He put together these numbers and so forth, and I think that he was going to make a great, great offer. How can you not go and sit with the man?," asked Arum.
"So Ross called Jerry and explained the situation to him," said Arum. "With Schaefer not going to go, what were we going to talk about?"
And, apparently, Schaefer said that venues at The NFL's Atlanta Falcons' Georgia Dome, The New Orleans Superdome, and, even Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center, as well as a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium that is being constructed in Las Vegas are all out of the question?
"Schaefer sent me a new draft of the contract and he says to me that it has to be at the MGM Grand. Why? So, Schaefer is not considering anything. Now you ask yourself why? What's his agenda?" asked Arum.
"All that I'm saying is that you can tell from my voice that I am really ****** off," said Arum. "And I am really embarrassed, and I don't want my fighter to be short--changed."
Arum also said that a $20 million offer from The Staples Center -- site of Israel Vasquez-Rafael Marquez IV -- was not a feasible bid "because California has state income taxes" that the fighters would have to pay, and Nevada does not.
The Staples Center offer was reported by The Los Angeles Times.
When Schaefer was first announced as Mayweather's representative, Arum was optimistic. For together, they had worked out many lucrative bouts in the past.
"I think that they've [Mayweather] indicated that that's [Schaefer] who they want to negotiate with me," said Arum. "And, if that, in fact, turns out to be the case, then the best chance we have of getting the deal done is if Richard Schaefer's on the other side."
Schaefer and Arum have successfully pulled off such matchups as Pacqauiao's fights opposite Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera, as well as Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley, Barrera-Erik Morales, De La Hoya-Fernando Vargas, Mosley-Antonio Margrito, and Bernard Hopkins-Kelly Pavlik.
"In the last five years, we've done so many big fights together, and in the process, we've developed a mutual respect for each other," said Schaefer at the time.
"So, I think Bob likes to work with us, and we like to work with him," said Schaefer. "Let the people behind the scenes do their job, and hopefully, we are going to be successful putting that together."
Asked if this was the first snafu he has had with Schaefer, Arum said, "Absolutely."
For the record, Mayweather is 6-0, with two knockouts at MGM, while Pacquiao is 3-1-1, with three knockouts.
Mayweather has decisioned Gregorio Vargas, Jose Luis Castillo, De La Hoya, and, Marquez at MGM, and KO'd Diego Corrales and Hatton there.
Pacquiao has stopped De La Hoya, Hatton, and Cotto, at MGM, and drawn with Marquez, and lost to Morales there.
"As far as the venue, Manny and I have no problem with Las Vegas. We get treated very well there by the people that live there, and the hotel accomadations are fabulous," said Koncz.
"We've fought five fights at the MGM, so Manny doesn't have any problem with that," said Koncz. "The venue is no big deal to us. We've fought in Vegas the last what, how many fights? It makes no difference if we're in Vegas or Dallas."
Koncz also continued to deny reports that Pacquiao has signed a contract consenting to the terms, although the Filipino star "certainly has agreed in principle."
"They can report whatever they want, but that's the fact of the matter. I've already addressed that issue," said Koncz. "As far as we're concerned, it's a done deal, and it's only a minor formality to sign a document on our part."
As far as the venue, "I think that that's an internal thing between Arum and Schaefer, and rightfully so," said Koncz. "I heard that Schaefer called late last night and canceled the trip in the morning, which is, perhaps, not the most professional way to do it."
Schaefer has said that he would not comment publicly on anything having to do with the on-going negotiations. But he told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, "This is a fight our side wants and we are working very hard to finalize it."
"The next time you hear from us is when we have a signed deal or the negotiations have fallen apart," said Schaefer. "I want to get a deal done, and once a deal is done, then we will be available for comments. Until then, there is no comment from our side."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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