Pacquiao's $65 million offer from billionaire Slim will be explored, Arum says -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner

Breaking News: Manny Pacquiao pal and powerful Filipino politician-businessman Luis “Chavit” Singson said that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has discussed a 2012 bout between Pacman and rising Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to take place in Mexico.

When you see the names of moneymen such as Chavit Singson and Carlos Slim in the same sentence, you’ve got to pay attention, especially when a $65 million guaranteed purse for Pacquiao is prominently mentioned.

And, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum just told me by phone from Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, he certainly will check the story out, first thing Monday morning by speaking to Singson by telephone.

“I saw the story and I don’t take it as gospel but Slim is one of the richest people in the world and Chavit, who I know so well, is a very serious guy,” Arum said. “I will phone Chavit on this.”

Altough Alvarez, only 20 years old, is promotionally tied to Top Rank’s familiar adversary Golden Boy, that shouldn’t be a problem if a one man bank like Mr. Slim is putting up the dinero for both fighters.

“Well,” Arum said, “they are talking about next year. Manny has the key third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez coming up on Nov. 12 and then we can discuss 2012. I don’t know when Manny will want to fight next year, whether we stick to May and November, because that’s up to Manny and his schedule, what he wants to do.

“But these are two serious people so I take it seriously. I know Chavit (governor of the province of Ilocos Sur and former national security adviser under President Gloria Marcapagal Arroyo) as a great guy and Slim happens to be one of the richest men in the world.”

Back in 2007, Slim, who made much of his fortune as an international telecommunications mogul, had a net worth estimated at between 59 billion and 67.8 billion dollars.

Alvarez, whose red hair led to his nickname of “Canelo,” has a huge and growing following in both Mexico and the United States but he would seem to be, at this stage anyway, hardly mature enough to be very competitive against Pacman, the Pound for Pound king of the sport.

Slim is an ardent boxing fan and, working with Don Jose Sulaiman and the WBC, has funded some sorely needed pensions for retired Mexican fighters, including many ex-world champions.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com