Top Rank promoter Bob Arum arrived in Manila yesterday and took a connecting flight to General Santos City clearly raising the stakes in his contractual battle with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions for the right to promote the future fights of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao.
Viva Sports/Manila Standard learned that Arum is scheduled to meet with Pacquiao tonight to discuss the two contracts he signed. The first in mid-September with Golden Boy Promotions and then some two months later with Top Rank.
Boxing promoter and manager Rex "Wakee" Salud said Pacquiao's lawyer Franklin "Jing" Gacal conformed that Arum was in GenSan but said he hadn't seen him as yet.
Pacquiao hasn’t made a decision on which promotional outfit to go with although Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has called on Manny to make up his mind because time was running out on a lucrative rematch with WBC super featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera who may wind up fighting Juan Manuel Marquez leaving Pacquiao the loser of a $5 million purse and a possible substantial pay-per-view income.
Efforts to contact Pacquiao about Arum’s sudden, unannounced visit proved futile as the fighter was reportedly asleep late in the afternoon after a Christmas celebration.
Arum’s decision to fly to GenSan to personally meet with Pacquiao comes amidst efforts by celebrated trainer Freddie Roach and Pacquiao’s manager Shelly Finkel to have him honor the Golden Boy contract. Arum’s apparent eyes and ears in the Pacquiao camp is Michael Koncz who keeps the Top Rank owner abreast of developments and follows Pacquiao wherever he goes although Koncz has been shunned by many respected boxing people in the country.
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