It seems HBO, Oscar de La Hoya, and Lou DiBella made it known Wednesday afternoon. They are sending a message to promoter Bob Arum who took his two champions Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto to Showtime. They counter with an HBO boxing telecast on April 16th when undefeated WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto defends his title against 5th ranked Victor Ortiz, at Foxwoods MGM Grand Theatre.
The so-called war of words, in and out of the ring against Arum has started. This is a compelling fight and Berto, with plenty of interest, makes this an interesting fight with Ortiz. The attention will be there for Berto who could get a shot at Cotto, and, if so then Arum has to answer the challenge from DiBella.
The fireworks started after the outcomes of Saturday night. Cotto successfully defended his super welterweight title stopping Ricardo Mayorga in the12th round on Showtime Pay-Per-View. And at Foxwoods, on HBO, DiBella?s middleweight champion Sergio Martinez easily stopped the previously undefeated Sergiy Dzinziruk.
DiBella called for Cotto to fight Martinez and claimed Arum is putting his fighters against each other. References no doubt, referring to the obvious plan, which would see Cotto and Arum?s other fighter, Antonio Margarito facing each other again in July.
So in steps de La Hoya, his ?Golden Boy? promotion represents Ortiz and is also in an obvious feud with Arum and Top Rank. Later in the day it was announced that de La Hoya signed bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire to a contract. That will result in litigation proceedings because Donaire is Top Rank property.
Photo: Pablo Santiago
But that caught everyone off guard and de La Hoya could not be reached for comment. He will eventually answer, because Arum quickly stated, ?Top Rank has a valid contract and we will take this to litigation.?
It takes three to tangle with Arum. HBO, De La Hoya, and DiBella can certainly put on the gloves in this obvious promotional feud. DiBella wants Cotto, HBO is obvious bitter that Arum took two of their hottest commodities in Cotto and Pacquiao to Showtime, and there is that lingering effect of the stalled Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.
It is obvious that the new alliance with Don King and Arum worked well. The Cotto-Mayorga fight on Showtime Pay-Per-View did good numbers, Arum and King worked well together after a five year hiatus. Adding to the interest is speculation that Arum and King will pull off the anticipated Pacquiao-Mayweather fight which could be the highest grossed fight in the industry.
King and Mayweather were seen often together in Las Vegas last week and there are reports that King is working a deal with Mayweather. So if and when Mayweather is ready to fight, pending all of his legal issues, fight fans will finally get to see what should have happened last year.
But as is well known, Mayweather was using the services of ?Golden Boy? CEO Richard Shaffer. The stipulation of drug testing for Pacquiao stalled the fight. Arum got more irate, and the war of words ensued putting Pacquiao in the ring with everyone else but Mayweather.
Berto and Ortiz will follow Amir Khan defending his WBA Super Lightweight title against Paul McCloskey from Manchester England. It will be a tough fight for Ortiz, promoted by de La Hoya, though he predicted a win by knockout. Berto (27-0, 21 KO?s) the 2008 Haitian Olympic fighter has had five successful title defenses since 2008.
The 24-year old Ortiz (28-2-2, 22KO?s) a southpaw has defeated former world champions Nate Campbell and Vivian Harris by decision and knockout.
?The fight is exactly what boxing needs right now,? said Berto. ?Two young fighters in their primes going head-to head.? Said, de La Hoya ?This is a risky fight for Victor. The best need to fight the best and that?s what we have with Berto versus Ortiz. ?
But the best fight to come may be this promotional feud.
e-mail Rich Mancuso: [email protected]
