Smirking Bob Arum, fistic fat cat, had plenty to smirk about Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.
Arum truly was the self satisfied cat who chowed down on the hapless canary after Miguel Cotto was midly revived with a chaotic ninth round TKO stoppage over wobbly Yuri Foreman.
It works like this in boxing when the promoter “owns” both sides of the main event. One guy has to win, the other has to lose and the promoter sits back and counts his present and future profits.
Now Arum is scheming, figuring out what is best for what he called “the elite fighters” to do next. Plan A is Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. That train is, from all appearances, getting ready to leave the station.
When the documents are signed and The Big One is announced, Arum will turn his attention to Plan B which will be a natural, revenge rematch pitting Boricua Cotto against his might have been cheating conqueror, Antonio Margarito.
(Arum labels all speculation about the Mexican cheating at any time “a lot of Internet hooey.”)
So then Top Rank will have the Cotto-Margo II winner sitting in the on deck circle for Pacquiao after the Mayweather super fight unless there is a call for an immediate Floyd-Manny sequel.
Cotto has lost fights in the past. Foreman suffered his first pro defeat.
Uncle Bob, who drew down a $2.7 million HBO fee to pay Cotto and Foreman, he never loses.
Manny Steward jockeyed revived Miguel Cotto back to world title status, I bet he keeps that day job
The other most self-satisfied guy at the big ballpark in the Bronx had to be hired gun Manny Steward, who seemed to instill confidence in and get Cotto back to the basics.
Somebody give the “Kronk Goldfather” a feather to put in his Kangol cap.
