HOLLYWOOD ? Bob Arum, the chief of Top Rank Promotions, said signs on Monday all point to an incredible pay-per-view showing of last Saturday?s trilogy between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.
?We?re looking at a homerun,? Arum said, two days after the fight that was watched by millions, and ended with Pacquiao winning yet another controversial decision against his Mexican nemesis.
A homerun, by Arum?s own standards, should be way over a million hits, and nothing less than that.
Pacquiao has surpassed the one-million mark in pay-per-view buys four times over his last six fights.
The reigning pound-for-pound champion did 1.25 million each against Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto, 1.15 million against Antonio Margarito and 1.3 million against Shane Mosley.
Arum said it shouldn?t be surprising at all if Pacquiao surpasses 1.3 million hits, and establishes a new personal high.
?We?re looking at something way, way higher than that,? he said upon mention of the pay-per-view figures for last May?s 12-round bout with Mosley.
Floyd Mayweather?s recent fight with Victor Ortiz, which ended in a knockout that raised a lot of eyebrows, reportedly did 1.25 million.
The official pay-per-view numbers of Pacquiao vs. Marquez should be out in a week or two, and by that time Arum said he might have something to say regarding Pacquiao?s immediate plans.
?We?ll know within the next two weeks what the plans are,? he said.
Pacquiao has a lot of options in front of him, and that could mean the superfight with Mayweather or a fourth fight with the 38-year-old Marquez.
Whoever Arum puts in front of Pacquiao next, the fight may come in May, six months from now.
Negotiations for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather have bogged down twice due to issues ranging from the dope-testing procedure to allegations of steroids use to the splitting of the purse which could run up to $100 million.
Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach said the fight may never happen because Mayweather, the undefeated ex-pound-for-pound king, is too scared of Pacquiao, and too scared of losing that zero in his ring record.
But it may be easier for Mayweather to call the fight now if only he saw Pacquiao?s third fight with Marquez, where it was once again proven that the Filipino superstar has great difficulty fighting a counterpuncher.
Mayweather may have learned a lesson or two from Marquez, and if he can employ the same formula then he has a greater chance of pulling it off against Pacquiao.
He can counter-punch all night, and give Pacquiao a hard time.
Arum said while Pacquiao appeared to be bothered by Marquez?s style, it was pretty evident that he was the aggressor, the one who threw more punches, and the one who landed more.
?The worst for Manny could have been 7-5 and even 8-4 was good,? said Arum.
The problem, he said, was that the expectations were too high for Pacquiao, and that everybody wanted him to knock Marquez out.
In three meetings, it was the first time Pacquiao failed to put Marquez down. The Mexican hit the floor three times in their first meeting in 2004, and once in their rematch in 2008.
?The people thought Manny would mop the ring with Marquez,? said Arum.
