HOLLYWOOD – Manny Pacquiao was busy sparring, sweating it out at the gym, and Bob Arum was busy counting the tickets, selling the fight from his home in Las Vegas.
“There’s a lot of excitement now. Ticket sales are doing great,” the 77-year-old Arum told The STAR.
It’s not that hard to sell a fight when it’s a Pacquiao fight, but the Top Rank big boss said Antonio Margarito has just added a lot to the excitement and even hinted at a rematch if ever he wins.
What is being projected by oddsmakers as a mismatch (Pacquiao at -650 and Margarito at +425) is turning out to be dangerous outing for the 31-year-old Filipino icon.Reports of distractions within Pacquiao’s camp, and news that Margarito is in such tremendous shape he could last a hundred rounds on fight night have made things interesting.
“I’ve been in this business for over 45 years, and one thing I know is what sells in boxing,” Arum told boxing website Fanhouse in a separate interview.
“What sells in boxing,” he continued, “is when the champion Manny Pacquiao is up against an opponent who has some physical advantage over him and can possibly beat him. That intrigues the public.”
Arum knows how to add up to them, talking a few weeks back about the great possibility of an upset by Margarito.
The other day, however, he said over the phone that Pacquiao is in sensational form, and predicted a “late stoppage or a close decision” for the fighting congressman from Sarangani.
Arum also answered questions pertaining to a possible rematch.
“If Margarito beats him then it’s good for Margarito isn’t it. That means Manny then has to do a lot of soul searching. One, does he want a rematch? And if he does I’m sure one can be arranged,” said Arum.
He told the Filipino press in Baguio City that there’s no rematch clause on the Nov. 13 fight because nobody asked for one, but in case a rematch is needed there shouldn’t be any problem making it.
Both Pacquiao and Margarito are under Top Rank.
“If the fight turns out to be a one-sided fight (favoring Pacquiao) a rematch wouldn’t be sellable. And if it’s a one-sided fight (the other way) and Manny concluded that Margarito was just too big and too strong for him, why subject him to do it again,” said Arum.
“Manny is going to win this fight,” Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, said yesterday.
Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, had said this should be the last time Pacquiao will fight at a catchweight (in this case 151 lb for the super-welterweight limit of 154).
He said if Pacquiao continues to fight, amid talks of a possible retirement due to his even busier schedule as a congressman, it will be as a welterweight (147) where he’s the champion.
Yesterday (Tuesday in Los Angeles), Pacquiao sparred nine rounds against old hands David Rodela, Ray Beltran and a new face, at the Wild Card Gym. They did 12 rounds last Saturday.
The number of sparring rounds will go down as the days go by, until Team Pacquiao leaves for Arlington, Texas on Monday, the beginning of fight week.
Source: philstar.com
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