Manny Pacquiao has chosen one of three opponents to be in the opposite corner on May 7 at the MGM Grand Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.
After one sitdown session with “Godfather” Bob Arum in Manila and second one in Pacman’s hometown of Gensan, the two meetings running a combined total of about 90 minutes, Arum told me by phone Sunday morning (Manila time) that the Pound for Pound King picked a favorite foe among Sugar Shane Mosley, historical rival Juan Manuel Marquez and undefeated Andre Betro.
And the winning name is…none ya, as i none of your business or mine, according to Arum who flies back to Las Vegas with lovely wife Lovee for a Sunday arrival at McCarran International Airport.
“Manny made his pick, he gave me the name,” Arum said. “But now I have to go make the best possible economic deal with that opponent. I’m not telling you or anyone else who it is. I will be back in the Top Rank office on Monday and I will go to work to structure the right deal.”
As we all know, Mosley was the lead horse in this race as the 39 year old veteran is a highly marketable PPV TV name and has left the Golden Boy fold so Mosley-Pacman becomes yet another “in house” Manny fight for Arum’s company just as the Manny-Joshua Clottey and Manny-Antonio Margarito bouts were.
Meanwhile, GBP reps Juan Ma and has publicly expressed financial flexibility while making a strong assertion that Pacman and Arum will earn maximum dollars by delivering the trilogy bout against the slick, 37 year old countperuncher during Cinco de Mayo weekend in Sin City.
The longshot of longshots is Al Haymon/Lou DiBella connected Berto and one person close to their situation told me Friday night they believe their “chance is less than zero.”
That seems to be a realistic view.
It looks like Arum and I were about the only people who thought the Pacman birthday bash had a “Godfather” movie theme.
“It wasn’t the theme of the party, not at all,” Arum said. “I don’t know where that started but, like a shmuck, I schlepped a white suit down to Gensan to look like the Godfather.”
Arum is still laughing about Pacman’s cash and automobile raffle for party guests.
“I picked the first winner and it turned out to be Manny’s brother, Bobby,” Arum said. “So we picked another name.”
As far as Pacman saying he may only fight three more bouts and then retire, Arum branded the speculation as just that, guesswork.
“He says three fights, he says three years or two years but who knows?” Arum said. “It depends on how he feels then and it also depends on his political schedule at the time. I don’t know and Manny does not know, at least now, the real answer on that.”
Arum said he and his wife have a fond memory from this trip of a four hour Manila luncheon with former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, who sat with Mrs. Arum, Coach Freddie Roach and some other Filipinos to talk and eat in a leisurely manner.
Arum said Imelda, who he met before the “Thrilla In Manila” Ali-Frazier III bout in Manila (1975), spoke more about politics than about boxing.
“Imelda talked about Mao Tse-tung, about (Saddam) Hussein, about Fidel (Castro) and people like that. It was really fascinating to hear her talk about these world leaders.”
I mentioned that both Roach and Imelda are rich and single but “Godfather” did not bite on that one.
