Lou DiBella swears.
Lou DiBella swears like a drunken sailor ending a wild and wanton shore leave and only because the MPs have arrived.
Lou DiBella swears like the late comedian Redd Foxx if you can imagine “Fred Sanford” on a crack binge.
And now Lou DiBella swears that he offered a huge birthday gift to Uncle Bob Arum and, by extension, to Top Rank fighter and WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Please note that Uncle Lou described the sensational “gift” to Arum on Wednesday which was the Top Rank top honcho’s 79th birthday.
“I want this story to get out there and get out accurately,” the New York based DiBella said. “Everything I’m telling you is completely true.”
I had to pause there, it sort of reminded me how famed British manager Mickey Duff used to interject “I must be honest with you” every three minutes into a conversation and or interview.
Arum, of course, could have “Yesterday I was lying, but today I’m telling the truth” as his professional epitaph but that’s old ground, so to speak.
DiBella claims Arum offered him $2.5 million plus some PPV TV upside to make a next spring or early summer bout between red-hot Argentinean Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez and Boricua Banger Cotto.
DiBella kiboshed that deal because Arum said it would be a TR promotion where DiBella would below the title promotional billing but would not be a true co-promoter in all aspects of the term.
DiBella fired back, angrily, telling Arum, “I’m no booking agent.
“I came right back and offered Bob and Cotto $5 million plus an upside, split the money however they see fit, and Bob quickly said, ‘I’m not interested.’ Bob is not interested in making the big fights, the best fights in any sitatuon where there is a co-promoter.”
Arum has come in for repeated criticism from the media and from Golden Boys Richie Rich Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya for being “In House Bob” and seemingly only wanting to make bouts in which his guys fight his guys.
For example, after Manny Pacquiao thrashed his guy Antonio Margarito, Arum said he would look outside of Top Rank now “because Manny’s beaten all my guys.”
Those were Arum’s words but his actions reveal he intends to match Pacman on April 16 or May 7 against Sugar Shane Mosley, who has dumped Golden Boy and will sign with TR any second if he has not already done so.
“In House Bob” may not like this music but now DiBella has joined the critical chorus.
