By Lem Satterfield, FanHouseAbout a week prior to Floyd Mayweather's Sept. 19 welterweight (147 pounds) unanimous decision victory over a legendary but undersized Juan Manuel Marquez, Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum called Mayweather "a head case" who "fights scared" and "makes a stinking fight."
"[Mayweather] is a boxer and he has to entertain. And Mayweather does not entertain. Outside the ring, yeah, he shoots up cars and he does other things like that, and he entertains. But in the ring, he's not an entertaining fighter," said Arum, who at the time was assessing the feasibility and saleability of a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao matchup.
"People don't want to spend money watching a defensive fighter. That's the problem," Arum said of Mayweather. "Now, it may very well be that a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight can be built up and people can talk about it. But in my heart of hearts, I know this would be like a hunter running around the ring looking for a deer. And that's not boxing."But Arum had softened his words concerning Mayweather during a July 16 international conference call with the media in an effort to maintain the potentially slim prospects of putting together a mega fight with Pacquiao.
Having earned his seventh crown in as many divisions after dethroning Miguel Cotto as WBO welterweight king with November's 12-round knockout, Pacquiao, Arum and the fighter's adviser, Michael Koncz, had established the stroke of midnight, Pacific time, this past Friday, July 16, as the deadline at which time Mayweather could ink his name on the dotted line of documents to make the fight.
Arum said that he didn't believe Mayweather's issue to be money -- the fighters reportedly agreed to a 50-50 split of the purse. Nor was it one of random drug-testing, the latter being a sticking point in December's previously failed negotiations.
Pacquiao originally cited the notion that it would weaken him to have blood drawn too close to a fight, but he has apparently softened his stance to the point where he has agreed to a 14-day cutofff .
"I don't want to get into specifics, but I think that issue [drug-testing] was resolved. Not as clear-cut as you may be saying it, but I believe it was resolved," said Arum, who this time conducted the negotiations with Mayweather's adviser, Al Haymon, through HBO's President of Sports, Ross Greenburg, who acted as the mediator.
"That's what it seemed like to me from what I was hearing from Ross. Remember, I never spoke to [Al] Haymon or anybody else but Ross," said Arum. "They kept assuring Greenburg that an agreement was imminent, and that Haymon was working on it and expected an answer shortly, and it just never materialized. I don't blame Haymon. I think he really tried -- based on what Greenburg said -- Haymon really tried to put the fight together."
Arum was conciliatory even as the deadline came and went -- with nary a word from Mayweather -- to the point of pleading for reporters, and, by extension, the public, to be lenient in criticizing the fighter.
"People should be understanding," said Arum. "I am sure, without knowing, but I am sure that there is a very good reason that Floyd Mayweather has for not committing to a fight at this time. I really and truly believe that."
Among those reasons, Arum speculated, are the legal troubles involving Mayweather's uncle and long-time trainer, Roger Mayweather.
"I would have liked for [Floyd Mayweather] to communicate, but I really believe that this issue with the uncle has an affect," said Arum. "I would think that, putting myself in their shoes, that there would be a lot of reluctance of going into this big fight without my trainer. We are not going to know the outcome of this criminal situation for some time."
Roger Mayweather goes on trial in Clark County District Court in Nevada on Aug. 2 on an assault charge stemming from last August's allegedly choking and assaulting female boxer Melissa St. Vil. Roger Mayweather could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted, meaning that he might not be available for a November fight.
"Now I am speculating that one of the reasons could be the uncertainty regarding Roger Mayweather. And for people that don't know, Roger Mayweather is scheduled for court in Nevada regarding criminal charges. Now I know how Manny would feel if he had to go into a fight like this without the services of [trainer] Freddie Roach," said Arum.
"Presumably, Floyd would feel the same way going into a fight like this without the services of his uncle Roger, who has been training him for a number of years. Right now I understand Floyd's position. I believe that his position is one that is regarding Roger," said Arum. "We know about this serious issue regarding Roger. I can understand Floyd delaying any plans for a future fight until there is a resolution of the Roger situation. Once you understand that, how can you jump on the guy?"
Arum said that he will spend the next week to 10 days working to set up Pacquiao's challenge for his eighth crown in as many different weight classes against either WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion Miguel Cotto or ex-titlist Antonio Margarito, with Margarito and Pacquia meeting for the WBC junior middlweight crown vacated by Sergio Martinez.
Either Dallas Cowboys' Stadium or the MGM Grand in Las Vegas would be more suitable for a bout between Pacquiao and Cotto, said Arum, while the MGM and Monterrey, Mexico, would be more appropriate for a Margarito fight. Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates in the Middle East) still is a consideration if the money is right.
But perhaps in the back of his mind, Arum believes that being a kinder and gentler negotiator will bring Mayweather-Pacquiao to fruition some day -- perhaps in next May.
"Floyd Mayweather is not saying that he will never fight Manny Pacquiao, and Manny Pacquiao is not saying he's not going to fight. There's always next year," said Arum. "It would be a shame if it didn't happen, but I don't think any of you guys should be too harsh on Floyd in this situation."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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