As Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez prepare for a third showdown in eight days, Bob Arum is at it again with his adversary Floyd Mayweather Jr. And there is no speculation as to why Mayweather, through is adviser Leonard Elerbe, said he is booking May 5 of 2012 as his next fight and referred to the opponent being ?The little fella.?
This could be another attempt by Mayweather to stampede the Pacquiao media attention, days before the HBO Pay-Per-View fight that will once again result in good revenue for Arum and Top Rank. And for Mayweather, supposedly booking his next fight, this time six months in advance, it is so unlike the WBC champion who took a 16-month hiatus before meeting and defeating Victor Ortiz in September.
Maywather has become the expert when it comes to getting under the skin of Arum. This was the perfect opportunity to hint about the fight with Pacquiao which remains in the balance. Boxing receives more attention when Pacquiao is days away from defending another title Mayweather will not allow his legacy to be tarnished by placing the blame on Arum and Pacquiao if the fight is not made.
So when you hear comments coming from Mayweather, or from one of his cronies, what is to be believed? There are still major legal issues that surround the WBC champion one that includes domestic violence and assault. There has always been the issue of Mayweather confronting financial issues because of fees that have incurred with the personal issues, add to the fact that he has become a once a year fighter.
But now with a major part of the welterweight championship and a fight with Pacquiao that has been on and off the past two years, one that will surpass an all-time pay-per-view record, Mayweather has no reason to hide. And with the latest word coming from the Mayweather camp, plus a response from Arum, what do you get? Media attention that boxing needs, but the sport should not revolve around Mayweather, Pacquiao, and Arum theatrics.
It has become a sitcom with more to come with Arum and Mayweather. The so called experts of boxing, those who come out of hiding when Mayweather and Arum speak, should remain silent. Because they need to brush up on their boxing history, know the facts and keep the steroid issue out of the picture, one that has become an old story. Pacquiao has said he is willing to follow protocol for Olympic style testing to get the fight signed and sealed. Arum has also stated that Pacquiao has agreed and that is not an issue as to why this fight is not on the calendar.
This is Mayweather politics, waiting for the outcome of Pacquiao and Marquez, or Pacquiao and another future opponent. May 5, 2012, is supposed to be the next time we see Mayweather in the ring and a major venue has been selected. The ?Little fella? we all assume is Pacquiao. Arum believes this is all a joke by Mayweather, and the media should not be a tool to getting a message across when it comes to, what is expected to be, the most recent and anticipated fight in boxing history.
The Mayweather camp says, ?We?re looking to make this the biggest fight possible.? The biggest fight now is Mayweather trying to get under the skin of Arum and it may not work. Until the fight is official it will be a war of words. Arum has other priorities and is focused on next Saturday, and until then, after an expected win by Pacquiao, Mayweather will once again remain silent.
But the general consensus is, Mayweather waits for Pacquiao to lose and is avoiding a fight that boxing and fans have been anticipating.
