Globetrotter Bob Arum and his wife, Lovee, are sunning themselves and recharging their batteries on the French Rivera.
All is tranquil as the Top Rank honcho and his better half sip cocktails with tiny umbrellas. All is calming as they glance out at the pristine waters of the Mediterranean.
Not a troubling wave, nary a white cap, as far as the eye can see.
The azure sea is just as flat as the line of communication between Arum, representing Manny Pacquiao, and Golden Boy?s Richard Schaefer, Oscar de la Hoya?s point man.
In a lengthy conversation, Arum told Boxingconfidential that he has heard nothing from Richie Rich since leaving for Europe this past Wednesday. More importantly than the lack of continuing talk between the two sides is Arum?s statement that reports of Oscar budging from his 70-30 percentage split and moving to 67-33 in his favor are completely false.
?I really don?t know what they are up to now,? Arum said. ?The ball is in Oscar?s court. They know Manny won?t accept 70-30 and we?ve heard nothing back about a change in their demand. I don?t know where these stories are coming from.
?If I had been told they would accept 67-33, then I would go to Manny with that and see what he says about it. But I haven?t heard a thing.?
Arum returns to the U.S. to show off his cheerleading skills in Youngstown, Ohio, on Tuesday as his company stages a ?pep rally? with October 18 combatants Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins. It?s ironic to note that Hopkins is a vice president, a guy with stripes, for Golden Boy.
Arum did not say getting any word from the ODLH side was urgent.
?In any event, I am not in a hurry,? Arum said. ?The fact is I don?t know what Oscar is thinking and I don?t know what he?s doing.?
When I mentioned that Sergio Mora?s name keeps getting bandied about as a Dec. 6 foe for Oscar, in all from the streets of East LA matchup, Arum said that is presumptuous.
?Mora has a fight (Vernon Forrest) on Sept. 13, doesn?t he??
Yesirree, Bob, he does.
It?s no secret that Manny?s next fight Plan B is to defend his WBC lightweight crown against Mexican hard man Humberto Soto in November. I asked Arum if that is also status quo.
?When I get back, we?re going to talk about that, a Soto fight,? Arum said. ?I?ve got a great offer for Manny on that and it?s not for Las Vegas, it?s elsewhere.?
I asked Arum if that means the oft-mentioned gambling colony of Macau is where he may bring Pacquiao-Soto but Yankee fan Arum played the Artful Dodger.
?It?s a great offer, not for Vegas but for elsewhere, I can say no more right now.?
I mentioned his charge, Antonio Margarito, and his immediate future. When I said that Oscar will never seek the fearless Tijuana Tornado as an opponent, Uncle Bob did not disagree. He did hint that Margarito?s next fight is brewing and it might be an in-house Top Rank affair.
?Joshua Clottey is a good possibility,? Arum said. ?Todd (duBoef, TR exec) is going to meet with Margarito?s people on Tuesday. Antonio will fight again before the year is out.?
Arum did not say it but I think the implication is clear. Pacquiao will fight and Margarito will fight before 2009 but maybe Oscar will not box again this year.
The water is flat.
It?s now up to Oscar to make some waves or his much speculated about bout against Pacman is going to disappear.
