Carnival barker Bob Arum is no different than the TV pitchman who wants you to buy his amazing Vegomatic, his wonderful Shamwow, the comfy Snuggie or any of the other thigamajigs that operators are standing by?right now?to sell to you at a stunning price.
So it was that with perishable commodity Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. barely slipping past another modestly-talented opponent Saturday night in Mexico that Arum went into his formulaic windup and pitch.
Having caught Tio Roberto?s act for lo these 40 years, I know he almost always throws out three names of possible next opponents. One name is a distractor, designed to divert your attention from the other two. One is a what if foe and the third is the guy Arum most wants to match with his ?A side? fighter.
The Top Rank ringmaster did not deviate from his post-fight norm in Tijuana.
The distractor, the take your eye off the other two spinning balls, name is that of shotski Oscar De La Hoya.
Now, even though his effort against Manny Pacquaio was a train wreck from start to finish, a revived Oskie could defeat the Son of the Legend. But why, why would the Golden Guy subject himself to more critcisim, derision and public heckling from a Mexican audience that would be 98 percent pro Chavez?
Name numero dos is a worthwhile foe, another hothouse flower who shelf life is not long. Balsa wood chinned Irish John Duddy and Chavez figures to be a hotly competitive fight in the ring as both have less than Hall Of Fame worthy skills. Make no mistake, the popular Duddy is not a bigger Wee Barry McGuigan.
But methinks Arum wants to preserve Duddy as yet another slo pitch softball for middleweight champ Kelly ?The Ghost? Pavlik. Maybe he shoves Duddy in there to get chopped up by Pavlik after the champ plays with Sergio Mora June 27.
The fight Arum wants to make and one I hearitily endorse is Pacman against Chavez.
Arum?s right, this one is presold as Mexico against the Philippines. It?s a relatively easy fight for Megamanny and could give him a well paid breather in between Ricky Hatton and the seemingly inevitable showdown with Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather.
I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your attention that Chavez-Pacman is an “in house” Top Rank affair except for the pieces of silver that Arum is obligated to toss to Golden Boy.
Pushing Floyd-Manny into 2010, hurts no one and helps everybody as the promotional juices for Pacquiao?s most difficult fight can keep simmering and stewing.
You?ve heard of ?Ferris Bueller?s Day Off,? the movie comedy? Fighting the limited Chavez, whose heart exceeds his natural ability, is ?Manny Pacquiao?s Night Off.?
?Name value? is what drives big PPV TV fights and Pacman and Chavez oozes name value. It?s got the sizzle to get past the limited, thimble-sized market of hardcore fight fans and to capture the attention of the wider audience.
It?s all hype and hokum but young Chavez will be said to be carrying the red, white and green national banner on behalf of Barrera, Morales and Marquez?all the Mexican boxing icons who Pacman has defeated.
Chavez will wave his bloody banner. Chavez will look through his face was run through the slicing, dicing Vegomatic and then rubbed raw with a Shamwow.
Fisherman Arum has tossed you the bait. You will snap it up, you will be hooked, millions upon millions will be made.
And, then Arum will come up with three names for Megamanny, but only one name will matter.
PBF. Money May. Mayweather Loves Mexico and the Philippines.
Floyd will have good reason to love RPI after he and Manny hit their jumbo jackpot next year.
