Bob Arum has shown a surprisingly ambivalent posture since Manny Pacquiao controversially edged out Juan Manuel Marquez by 12 round decision, towards making the biggest fight in boxing history ? Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.
The consensus opinion is that Arum is worried by Pacquiao?s disappointing latest performance and that the productivity of his ?cash cow? Pacquiao may now be slashed if he faces the supposedly superior counter-punching of Mayweather.
I?m not sure whether to believe this notion. Because the week before the Pacquiao-Marquez 3 fight, Arum revealed to New Jersey Star Ledger columnist Jerry Izenberg that Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and Mayweather advisor Al Haymon had reached out to commence negotiations with Arum. If this was not yet another bluff by the Mayweather side, this would indicate that the handlers of Mayweather might be ready to cash out Mayweather for the Pacquiao jackpot, because as we all know, Mayweather?s gate and Pay-Per-View numbers performed poorly for the Victor Ortiz fight. It?s a big question now, and by no means at all a guarantee, about how much revenue Mayweather?s future fight will generate, since the public has finally awakened to the American?s low-risk, handpicking style of selecting over-matched and disadvantaged opposition.
Then after Pacquiao edged Marquez, Shaefer and Mayweather?s advisor Leonard Ellerbe again postured a suddenly aggressive and eager stance to finally make the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Mayweather himself though was nowhere near as bold and assertive as his handlers. Mayweather, as expected, criticized Pacquiao?s performance but curiously refused to commit to boxing him next. The general tone of Mayweather?s message was that he still does not want to fight Pacquiao but would prefer to schedule another tune-up for February, which contradicts an earlier plan to box on May 5 2012 at the MGM Grand. If Floyd fights in February, March and April would not be proper enough time to train for and promote the biggest fight in history on May 5.
So once again, it appears Mayweather, the greatest ducking dodger in boxing history, is making another cleverly creative attempt to evade having to box Manny Pacquiao.
