Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is having a problem turning Terence Crawford into a pay-per-view (PPV) star as he prepares for the grand exit of his No.1 cash cow Manny Pacquiao, who is retiring after his April 9 fight against Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas, Nev
Arum is in desperate need of someone in his Top Rank stable of fighters to replace the retirement-bound Pacquiao as Top Rank’s No. 1 revenue generator. While the 84-year-old promoter is capable of matching his top fighters against known PPV personalities representing rival promoters, he prefers matches from within his Top Rank stable of fighters so that he won’t share the revenue with his rival promoter. From within his own stable, Arum can tap at least three potential opponents for Crawford who could help the 28-year-old unbeaten champion from Omaha, Nebraska break into the lucrative PPV market. Juan Manuel Marquez The first and probably the only one among the the three possible contenders who can help Crawford become a PPV attraction is Mexican counter-puncher Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez, who is set to return in the summer for a tune up fight following his long lay off brought about by his recurring knee injury, is a veteran PPV fighter who has amassed millions of PPV buys along with Manny Pacquiao during their long-running rivalry. Arum is aware of what Marquez can do to help Crawford become a PPV attraction saying a Marquez fight is possible if Crawford is victorious over Hank Lundy. ?Marquez wants to fight in the summer in Mexico City,? Arum told BoxingScene. ?He says his knee is fine. If he comes through in that fight, we?ll match him in a real marquee fight. Maybe against a guy like Terence Crawford, assuming Crawford?s victorious.? Arum added. Timothy Bradley Bradley isn’t receptive to the idea of Arum matching him with stablemate Crawford because they’re close friends and he feels awkward fighting a friend. But if they’ll have a change of mind, it would be a PPV boosting fight for Crawford because Bradley has already proven his worth as a PPV veteran following his date with equally-famous PPV stars including Pacquiao and Marquez. Ruslan Provodnikov While Provodnikov can offer the fans a competitive fight against Crawford, it may not be the kind of match that the discriminating PPV buyers are looking for in a highly competitive fight. Arum has a good business relationship with Provonikov’s boss Artie Pelullo and together they could arrange the fight quickly. First of all, Provodnikov had a 3-3 in the last six bouts, a record that is not pleasing to the fans. Secondly, Provodnikov has not figured in a PPV event that could measure his worth in the PPV market. Still, its a fight that could be part of the buildup for Crawford in his effort to maintain his unblemished record. Outside of Top Rank stable, two fighters could also give Crawford the needed boost in his effort to succeed Pacquiao as Arum’s future cash cow. They are Adrien Broner and Chris Algieri. In the case of Broner, Arum may find it difficult to arrange the fight because of his pending lawsuit against Broner’s adviser Al Haymon. But it would be an exciting and entertaining fight as Broner has the talent to hype a competitive fight. In the case of Algieri, It would be easier for Arum to bet on former Pacquiao’s foe as a fallback if the Marquez-Crawford fight talks fail to gain traction.
