Elsewhere on this site, Floyd Mayweather has been taken to task for insinuating that it is actually Bob Arum who is dragging his feet on negotiations for a fight with Manny Pacquiao. In other words, that?s just a cover story for Mayweather being too ?afraid? to come to the terms that will ultimately make this fight.
Well, both sides of that argument are correct, to a certain extent.
As I have tried to explain before, Arum?s posture is one that any promoter of his position and experience would normally have; one that certainly advocates for his own fighter, but at the same time is rather dispassionate. Sure, he would like to make the fight ? that is, if there is a deal in place that would allow him to make a lot of money. If that deal isn?t in place, he would just as soon do exactly as he is doing, which is to take other opportunities to use Pacquiao. Such an opportunity stares him in the face, as he?s trying to make yet another rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez.
But can you blame him? Off 1.4 million pay-per-view buys and an $11.9 million live gate, it will probably do better next time, especially with the latest questions about whether Pacquiao should have gotten the winning call from the judges.
Arum is a businessman. If something makes good business, he?ll do it. If it doesn?t, it won?t. Right now it?s better business for him to seek the fights that can be made, rather than the fights that aren?t.
And the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, in his opinion, probably can?t be made.
Mayweather, however, would like to create the impression that he is now the aggressor in this ?fight,? as Pacquiao, figuratively speaking, dances about the ring in retreat.
That certainly serves a PR purpose, I guess, but when it comes down to it, maybe the best thing to do is look at the numbers.
And when I say the ?numbers,? I mean the numbers Mayweather is asking for.
