Yesterday afternoon, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, and esteemed trainer Freddie Roach took part in a conference call ahead of Pacquiao?s June 9th fight with Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao will look to successfully defend his WBO welterweight crown for the fourth time but figures to have his work cut out for him in the ultra-confident Bradley. The Pacquiao-Bradley pay-per-view telecast comes on the heels of his rival Floyd Mayweather’s May 5th extravaganza with Miguel Cotto, an event that drew an estimated 1.5 million buys. It will be interesting to see how well Pacquiao-Bradley sells but if you ask Arum, he isn?t concerned in the slightest towards matching the numbers of Mayweather.
Read on for quotes from Arum during the conference call, including why he feels Mayweather?s pay-per-view numbers are ?irrelevant?, why Bradley is a different type of challenge to Pacquiao, how Manny is looking in training camp at the Wild Card Boxing Club, and much move? Advertisement
This is what Arum had to share?
Hoping for the biggest numbers possible for Pacquiao-Bradley? ?We aim to get the biggest possible numbers that we can get. We operate a completely different model from Floyd?s model and whatever numbers he allegedly reached or didn?t reach is really not relevant to us. It varies from fight to fight. The Marquez numbers, from the Manny fight in November, are certainly much greater than Mayweather?s numbers with Ortiz. You also have to realize that Mayweather was fighting one of our great fighters, Miguel Cotto, who is the number three [pay-per-view] attraction, who has gotten great numbers on his own. So you have to factor all of that in.?
Not worried about future fights for Pacquiao? ?Everything is on the table. Manny has this fight against Bradley. It?s a tough fight, and after the fight, as we always do, we?ll confer and decide on who the opponent will be and when the fight will take place. I haven?t discussed this with Manny because I never discuss future fights with a fight coming up. We?ll have plenty of time to discuss that and we also have a trip coming up with his family to Israel and we can discuss it then.?
A difference in Pacquiao? ?From somebody who has visited the training camp a few times, the difference in Manny?s face is so apparent. He?s not as tired as he was and he?s not as worn as he was. There is a glow in his face. I think this religious awakening has been all good on his part. I am a little prejudiced because I am religious myself but I believe when young athletes find religion it will greatly enhance their careers.?
The danger of Timothy Bradley? ?When you look at Manny?s opponents, the freshest guy he has fought will be Bradley. The others he has fought have been great names like Cotto, Margarito and De La Hoya and Hatton, but Bradley is not a great name but he is a great fighter and young and fresh. When you have a fresh fighter who has not taken a lot of punishment, he can be dangerous. The most important element with Bradley is his mind. He is a very, very determined young man. He is confident in his abilities and determined and that is a tremendous plus for any athlete. He feels as if his mind can take over. Some have doubts in their performance and it shows in up, whether it?s football, boxing or whatever.?
Bradley?s public workout on Thursday? ?I would like to see as many of you as possible in Indio on Thursday at Bradley?s workout. There are buses leaving from Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I?ll be there and am anxious to see him train and I know most of you are. I think it?s going to be a great fight ? something special. Another thing that is special is the bible study that Manny participates in. Tonight in Manny?s apartment, we are going to shoot the bible study that Manny has been participating in and make it into a program which we will distribute. When an athlete has a religious experience it is a great thing and I want to show it to as many people as possible.?
