Bobfather doesn’t budge: Only way Pac-Mayweather happens is without additional testing
GL: Can you give us some thoughts on the Pacquiao’s performance and the undercard? “Well The Event was the greatest presented boxing event in history. From the electronics in the arena, the thunder and lightning, the screen, the emphasis of the fighters. I don’t know how it came across on television, but in the arena it was amazing and everybody was blown away. They had never seen this before in the sport of boxing and I think that’s important because it elevates boxing to a new level having 51,000 people and everyone of them with a good view of the action because most of the people don’t watch the event in the ring, the watch it on the screen because the screen is better than watching it in the ring. You have to be there to realize how unbelievable that screen is. It’s a television picture better than on any television you’ve ever seen.”
GL: That was all great unfortunately some of the undercard fights were not. Were you disappointed with the undercard?
Bob Arum: “No. I thought the undercard fights were very good. I thought the Soto-Diaz fight was a very good fight. I thought the crowd was into it and I thought it was closer than the scorecards had it. I thought Duddy performed very well against a tough Mexican. Unfortunately Castillo came up empty and retired, but I think it was a strong undercard.”
GL:: What do you think about Joshua Clottey’s effort or lack thereof?
BA: “You have to understand. In fighting Manny Pacquiao, who is faster and quicker with a work rate greater than any welterweight in the history of the sport, I mean 1250 punches during the fight and being as energetic in the last round as he was in the first round…there are ways to face him. One way was Cotto when Cotto chose to box and fight with him and Cotto wound up getting knocked out. Clottey decided to go into a defensive shell hoping that Manny would wear out so he can land punches. Nobody has figured out a way to beat this guy. Everybody is coming in with a different game plan and Manny with his greatness, deals with it. From De La Hoya, who sort of stood there and dared Manny to punch him, to Hatton, who tried to brawl with him, to Cotto who tried to box with him. Everybody tries something different and nobody has been successful. Clottey thought he had the answer; Let Manny punch himself out and then he’ll tire in the late rounds. If Clottey had watched Manny train, he would have had to know that wasn’t going to work. In training, Manny expends three time the energy than he expended last night.”
GL: Do you think Clottey would have gotten knocked out had he opened up more?
BA: “Absolutely. The problem is, you can’t deal with the kids speed. The kids speed, with the number of punches that he throws.”
GL: The Mosley-Mayweather winner is the fight that the world wants to see. What are the chances that happens?
BA: “If Shane Mosley wins there’s no chance because he has an obligation to fight Mayweather again as I understand. If Mayweather wins, we certainly want to fight Mayweather, but he’s got to come to the table looking to make a regular boxing contract. We’re not going to entertain any extra issues regarding drug testing.”
GL: So despite how close or far away you guys were when you abandoned the fight the first time around, I believe it was 14 days, this time there’s no discussion. The fight will have to happen as every other boxing match in history except for Mosley-Mayweather or it won’t happen.
BA: “Correct.”
GL: You announced Pavlik-Martinez on Saturday. Tell us about that.
BA: “That was a very smart thing we ended up doing because we had a much larger media attendance than we would have had with a regular press conference in New York City. I thought both fighters acquitted themselves well and stated why they would win. I’m in Cleveland to get a physical checkup and I came here on a private plane so I gave Kelly, his father and Jack Loew a lift back here. Kelly is in great shape and ready to go. He met with Jerry Jones when he was in Dallas and he’s very, very anxious to furnish his record and become a fighter that can fight in a main event in Cowboys Stadium.”
GL: Will Manny return to Cowboys Stadium?
BA: “That’s what he wants. Any fighter who experiences fighting in front of a crowd like that is going to want to do it again.”
GL: How many of the 51,000 were paid?
BA:”100% of it. That’s the paid attendance.”
GL: I only ask because I saw a bunch of Cowboy greats in the crowd and I imagine they were getting comps.
BA: “That may very well be, buy Jerry paid for those tickets. We had Margarito, Cotto, Pavlik and etc, but we bought the tickets. HBO also had tickets, but they had to buy them. People might have gotten tickets for free, but every ticket was paid for.”
GL: Closing thoughts?
BA: “Saturday night was game changing for the sport of boxing, You can see boxing appearing on big stages like Cowboys Stadium. Woody Johnson from the Jets was sitting behind me and they want a big event in the Meadowlands new stadium this spring and we might form an event with Kelly Pavlik. Yankee Stadium is going to be very exciting for us too. Unless you’re there, in that type of environment, you have no idea what I’m talking about. It takes the sport to another level and elevates it. To me, it was the best presentation I’ve ever seen in boxing in all of my years in the sport. I understand, that the Germans are doing similar things when they present boxing and that’s why boxing is so hot in Germany. It’s a great event. Some of those heavyweight fights are tough to sit through, but the fans don’t mind because they’re entertained with the presentation.”
