Arum's legacy matters: Schmuck or hero on Mayweather-Pacquiao -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

Bob Arum, as vibrant a 78 year old as I have ever seen, is not a man given to deep introspection or brooding.

Not now, nor has he ever been.

Arum, who has spent four decades atop the boxing promotional pyramid, is as crusty as the center of any active volcano.

The man has the hardened hide of an elderly armadillo.

But,whether he dies next week, next month or lives past age 100, Arum will have a professional epitaph.

It could be the famous line he uttered to Newsday fight scribe Bob Waters, "That was yesterday, yesterday I was lying and today I am telling the truth."

More likely, his obits will discuss how he came out of the Justice Department under Robert F. Kennedy, saw there was real gold to be mined in bigtime boxing and then became a promoter of Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Oscar de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

I know another thing and that is Arum would not want this on his tombstone: BOB ARUM, HE COULDN'T MAKE MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO HAPPEN.

For Arum, it's always about the money.

Otherwise, he'd be a sherpa guide in Tibet or working on a kibbutz in Israel. I never could picture him working alonside Mother Teresa in the slums of Calcutta somehow. I could have gotten a Mother T gig had it not been for my five years in Don King's coalmine.

But legay matters to promoters just as it does to some fighters.

It says here that Arum, by hook or crook, will do whatever backflips, somersaults and other controtions he has to make the Biggest Fight of the Generation, Manny against Floyd.

If it isn't made, history will nail him. No one will blame promotional newcomers like Richie Rich Schaefer or Golden Boy Oscar.

Arum will get the glory or the blame.

Arum just scheduled a Monday press conference call for Antonio Margarito. Also on the call is Margarito and Pacquiao lawyer Daniel Petrocelli.

I guess Petrocelli, no relation of the Bosox Number 6, shortstop Rico, will be there to block and parry any questions about why Margocheato won't admit he knews his handwraps were loaded with pieces of cement before the Shane Mosley bout.

If Mayweather ducks and dodges, using random blood testing as his safety shield, Arum will stay in house and stage Margarito-Pacquiao come November.

It's not a horrible fight but is it any more stimiulating than Pacman-Clottey which at least had the novelty and buzz of Cowboys Stadium going for it?

Pacquiao's next bout should only be against Money May unless Mosley throws a wrench into the situation on May 1 which I highly doubt.

The day to start talking turkey and work out the drug test protocols is a month from today, May 2.

No less than Arum's boxing legacy is on the line.

I say Arum, huffing, puffing and gesticulating like a madman, gets it done.

The rest of his professional life is all undercard, all prelims.

For him, it's Job One.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com