MANILA, Philippines – Bob Arum yesterday said Juan Manuel Marquez vs Lamont Peterson is almost a done deal, meaning the ?mini-tournament? the Top Rank chief is putting up, the other half involving Manny Pacquiao vs Tim Bradley, is fast gaining ground.
Arum told The Los Angeles Times that a preliminary deal has been reached regarding Marquez-Peterson. The fight between Marquez and Peterson, the reigning light-welterweight champion, is being set in Dallas in May or July.
It?s a fight worth watching because if everything falls into place, the winner will eventually face the winner between Pacquiao and Bradley who?s being pitted for a June 9 showdown.
Marquez said a few days ago he will only sign the contract to fight Peterson if there?s a guarantee that if he wins, he gets a fourth crack at Pacquiao.
This ?mini-tournament? should keep Pacquiao busy until the end of the year in case the superfight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn?t take place in November.
Mayweather had challenged Pacquiao to a fight on May 5 but Arum had insisted on a later date, perhaps the last week of May or June 9. Arum also favors a 45,000-seater open-air venue for the fight instead of the 17,000-seater MGM Grand.
But either date, May or June, has been ruled out by Arum for Pacquiao vs Mayweather because of the latter?s new demand that he get the lion?s share of the purse. Mayweather has turned down a fifty-fifty offer from Pacquiao.
Instead, the WBC welterweight champion from Michigan offered Pacquiao, the WBA welterweight champion, a guaranteed purse of $40 million with nothing to expect from the pay-per-view sales.
Pacquiao said, ?No.?
Arum in return offered Mayweather a guaranteed purse of $45 million, and as expected, nothing came out of it as well. Therefore, Arum said May or June is now officially out as far as Pacquiao-Mayweather is concerned.
Arum is now setting his sights on Pacquiao vs Bradley and Marquez vs Peterson.
?They (Mayweather camp) don?t want to fight (Pacquiao) in late May. It?s dead for May, so we should sit down with everybody, let Mayweather fight someone else May 5 and we?ll fight someone else June 9, and then let?s get a signed contract for [Mayweather-Pacquiao] in November. That?s a win-win for everybody,? Arum told The Times.
Mayweather is now looking at two possible opponents in Miguel Cotto, the light-middleweight champion, and Canelo Alvarez. Arum also wants Cotto for Pacquiao, but it seems the Puerto Rican is leaning on Mayweather.
Peterson is also being lured by Golden Boy Promotions to a rematch with Amir Khan on May 19 at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. But Arum said he had already spoken to Peterson?s manager, Barry Hunter, regarding the Marquez fight.
?So if you eliminate those two [potential Pacquiao opponents] and Mayweather isn?t in the picture, you can do that math,? Arum was quoted as saying.
Arum was in the Philippines a couple of weeks ago, and he made Pacquiao choose among Cotto, Marquez, Bradley and Peterson as an alternate opponent because during that time, a fight with Mayweather for May or June was still alive.
The problem with a Cotto fight with Pacquiao is that the former had announced that he won?t go down to 147 lb just to get the rematch with the Filipino icon, who pounded him to submission when they fought in 2009.
Therefore, Cotto might choose Mayweather who is more comfortable in a heavier weight limit. Pacquiao said he?ll never fight over 147 again.
?I?m not saying [Cotto?s] right or wrong. It?s his body. He has to make the determination. You have to respect a fighter who makes that decision. It?s a substantive decision, his own health,? said Arum.
