An informed source within the HBO Counting House assures me that the final count on the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao PPV show of Nov. 14 will “exceed” the 1.1 million buys that Juan Manuel Marquez-Floyd Mayweather Jr. supposedly did with their bout on Sept. 19.
“We know already that the Pacman fight will go past the Arum, who attended a celebratory luncheon for his new world champion (and rabbinical student) Yuri Foreman Thursday, will stay in New York until Sunday. Mayweather fight in terms of total buys,” the unimpeachable source said Thursday.
“It may not go much past Mayweather but we know already that it will exceed it and not just match their numbers.”
Meanwhile, I have learned there will be no conversation between Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, and anyone repping Mayweather until after the final numbers have been tabulated to the satisfaction of Arum and the HBO suits.
“There’s really nothing to chat about at this point,” a second source said. “I mean, is Richard Schaefer going to ring Arum up to ask how the weather is in Central Park?”
He will be attending funeral services on Long Island for the wife of former trainer and TV announcer Gil Clancy, his longtime friend and associate.
Schaefer has told one journalist that plans for Mexican ringmaster Juan Ma to fight comebacking Ricky Hatton in Manchester next year are moving ahead.
While Coach Freddie Roach suggests Chapter 3 of Juan Ma-Manny is doable, Pacman is not on the same page.
“Who is going to pay to see that?” Pacquiao told a Filipino reporter.
Pacman’s point is well taken given that he is, beyond doubt, a welterweight now while JMM is at best a junior welterweight and should remain there.
Gossip pages in his homeland continue to report on supposed Pacquiao romantic interests and resulting problems with lovely wife Jinkee.
Actress Krista Ranillo has goen so far as to do an interview denying publicly that the fighter impregnated her. She is making plans for a press conference in Manila in which she plans to discuss her status with Megamanny.
If nothing else, all the gossip is great publicity for the upcoming “Wapakman” movie featuring Pacman and which I believe Ranillo has a role.
