MANNY PACQUIAO confirmed the presence of Top Rank big boss Bob Arum in General Santos City but made it clear that a deal hasn’t been forged between the Filipino puncher and the promoter par excellence.
“We haven’t discussed anything yet but we are scheduled to talk tonight (last night),” Pacquiao told the Bulletin from Gen. Santos City with the help of one of his former trainers, Bebot Agawon.
“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” said Pacquiao, who was surprisingly upbeat in the company of friends, in relation to which promotional outfit the famed southpaw will hook up with considering that Top Rank is slugging it out with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions for the control of Pacquiao.
Pacquiao said Arum was alone in his first trip to the Philippines in 31 years. The last time Arum was in the country was during the 1975 “Thrilla in Manila.”
Arum, who turned another leaf recently, arrived in the Philippines Tuesday morning and caught a connecting flight to GenSan.
According to boxing industry sources, Arum decided to head to the country so he could convince Pacquiao to honor his commitment with the Las Vegas-based company.
But GBP is not about to give up the fight since it was the first company to sign up Pacquiao to a seven-fight deal on Sept. 19 the day Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles from Manila to prepare for the rubber match with Erik Morales.
GBP Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer said if Pacquiao decides to dilly-dally, GBP won’t have a choice but to stage a fight between Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez on March 17 in Las Vegas and leave Pacquiao drooling over the lost opportunity of making a megabuck purse of million in a rematch against Barrera.
But Top Rank made an announcement moments after Pacquiao’s knockout win over Morales that it had inked Pacquiao to a four-year pact.
