March fight tops Arum’s RP agenda

Bob Arum said Wednesday that a proposed March 13, 2010 super fight featuring Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will be the main agenda when the Hall of Fame promoter drops by Manila for a four-day visit beginning this Thursday.

Arum politely declined to provide details about what he is going to discuss with Pacquiao, insisting that he “has to talk with Manny first before going public because I want to make sure he’s on the same page (with me).”

“When I talk to him, I will have a direction. I have everything laid out for him so he has to choose,” the 77-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer told The Bulletin as he waited to board a Philippine Airlines flight from Las Vegas via Vancouver.

“It’s his career, it’s his life. He’s the one fighting.”

Arum said that while a March is just around the corner, he is upbeat that if Pacquiao does not dilly-dally, he could make an announcement within the month.

“(Forging a deal for a March fight) can be done,” Arum said, noting that he had pulled off a similar move almost 40 years ago when he put together the first Ali-Frazier fight.

“Ali had fought in early-December of 1970 and we immediately had a deal for the Frazier fight in that month so the fight with Frazier took place in March (the following year).”

Serving a stumbling block to a planned March bout is Pacquiao’s political plans as he has formally filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman in Sarangani province for the May 10 national elections.

Pacquiao lawyer Jeng Gacal said Pacquiao is not too sure about fighting in March because of its proximity with the elections.

“Because he is not running unopposed, Manny cannot afford to take it easy,” said Gacal.

Gacal added that in the event Pacquiao wins a congressional seat, “the most likely date for his next fight will be October.”

“If he wins, he has to report for work on July 1st because Manny cannot afford to be absent.”

Meanwhile, part of Arum’s trip to the Philippines would be a press conference that will stage to announce the partnership between Top Rank Inc. and ABS-CBN.

“ABS-CBN will show our regular fights,” said Arum.

Top Rank has a bevy of Filipino fighters under its banner. Also under contract with Top Rank aside from Pacquiao are world champions Nonito Donaire, Rodel Mayol, and Brian Viloria.

Arum, however, made it clear that Solar Sports still own the rights to all the Pacquiao fights.

Source: mb.com.ph