I just squeezed two short words out of the usually garrulous promoter Bob Arum.
The first was “can’t” and the second was “talk.”
Then came the sound of Arum’s mobile phone clicking off.
You may think Uncle Bob was being a rude dude with an overbearing attitude but I certainly did not mind.
I’ll take it as an indication that the Top Rank honcho is in the negotiation trenches, trying his darnedest to make the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Lollapalooza a reality for November.
The worst possible news would be for Arum to say he was going on another holiday like his trip to Cabo San Lucas in the midst of the first round of May-Pac negotiations which ultimately exploded.
Better for Roberto to stay in the fistic foxhole until a deal is made or scotched.
Since Methusaleh Bob, turning 79 years young in December, wasn’t entertaining questions, I did not get to ask whether the Mayweather camp, in response to Pacman agreeing to a drug test up to 14 days before the fight, was trying to move the goalposts again.
See GMA TV report on Pacman prevailing in opponents’ effort to get defamation lawsuit KO’d.
There are scattered reports without firm attribution on the Internet stating that Mayweather now wants the random drug tests to run all the way up until the day of the mega bout. Both sides have a postfight drug test in the locker room which is required anyway.
There’s something hinky about the “Mayweather news” as one report attributes Mayweather comments to me which is a laugh as I’ve not had the distinct pleasure to speak to Money May in about 18 months.
So what we do know other than that, on a Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, Arum is at work, doing what he does best, putting his four decades of experience into making the Big Bout happen? Not much, but for now, that is enough.
Be sure that Arum wants the huge financial score and be even more sure that he doesn’t want his professional epitaph to bear these words:
BOB ARUM, GREAT FIGHT PROMOTER WHO FAILED TO MAKE A BLOCKBUSTER BOUT MATCHING FLOYD MAYWEATHER AGAINST MANNY PACQUIAO.
Mayweather fight mega purse of up to $40 million would certainly put Congressmanny Pacquiao’s relection campaign or run for senate in the Philippines in good financial stead. Fighter begins three year stint in Congress in Manila with formal swearing in on June 30. (Pacland)
As I persist in saying, the match will shortly be put to bed.
Mayweather needs Pacman and vice versa. All other possible foes are chopped liver, really. Arum is observing the gag order, voluntarily agreed to by the opposing sides. So, too, is Richie Schaefer of Golden Boy carrying Mayweather’s wish list to Arum.
Let them keep talking and keep the gag order in effect.
I know most of us are sick of the blood games and the blame games.
It’s past time for the suits to deliver the goods.
