BOB ARUM has put up nearly every money-making scheme possible from the 1974 daredevil motorcycle jump by Evel Knievel to 27 Muhammad Ali fights in a career as a promoter that started in 1966.
So when news broke out a couple of weeks ago that Filipino super-featherweight star Pacquiao could end up facing super-welterweight fighter Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, Arum, the Top Rank president, received it without batting an eyelash.
“It (Pacquiao-De La Hoya) is two fights down the road,” Arum said over the weekend, noting that Pacquiao will have to fight either at super-feather (130 lbs) or lightweight (135 lbs) this coming March and July.
In a radio interview over DZSR 918 yesterday, Arum told announcer Dennis Principe that a De la Hoya-Pacquiao fight is not out of the question.
“I come from an era where fighters fought above the weight all the time. Where great fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson went up and fought the light-heavyweight champion (Joey Maxim). Where middleweights fought heavyweights. We?ve seen (light-heavy) Roy Jones with (heavyweight John) Ruiz. Henry Armstrong was the lightweight champion, (and) middleweight champion (who fought Filipino Ceferino Garcia),” said Arum, who turns 76 on Dec. 8. “So, you know, this is nothing new,” he said.
Although Arum hasn?t brought up the idea to Pacquiao, Arum believes it could be done.
“Manny Pacquiao brings a lot to the table against Oscar. He has the speed, a good punch. He takes a good punch. He may be outsized by De La Hoya but remember when he fought (Marco Antonio) Barrera, he went into the ring at 144 lbs,” said Arum, who also promoted 36 fights of De La Hoya.
With the proposed De La Hoya-Pacquiao match only happening in September, Arum set his sights on Pacquiao?s next fight.
Arum has pruned down the list of Pacquiao?s foe for March 15, 2008 to just two fighters: Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz.
Marquez, who is promoted by De La Hoya?s Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), is the current World Boxing Council super featherweight king, while Diaz is the WBC lightweight ruler and is under contract with Top Rank.
Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic was scratched from the list owing to his win, albeit unattractive, over Humberto Soto over the weekend.
“We have the complete say on who Manny fights. That decision is made by Manny and myself. Once the decision is made, then if it?s a Golden Boy fighter, Golden Boy is part of the co-promotion. If it?s not a Golden Boy fighter, they are not part of the promotion but they share part of the promotion?s profits,” said Arum.
Pacquiao will spend Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) at Arum?s Las Vegas residence and decide who to fight next.
