SHELLY FINKEL yesterday threw a stinging jab at Top Rank chief Bob Arum for his alleged failure to come up with a concrete fight schedule for his former prized fighter Manny Pacquiao, who is now being lined up to fight in Texas after the proposed Macau gig was shelved.
“This eats me up,” Finkel told the Bulletin in an email on reports that Pacquiao will now bring his act to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, for an April 21 bout against a solid Mexican slugger.
Finkel assailed Arum for his inability to fulfill a promise of not only getting Marco Antonio Barrera for a rematch but also the collapse of plans to hold a Pacquiao match against Injin Chi in Macau on April 28.
“Arum was going to deliver. Barrera needed him (and) Manny didn?t need Barrera. Obviously that didn?t happen. Now the big fight is Barrera versus (Juan Manuel) Marquez (on March 17). Now Manny is fighting the small fight,” said Finkel. “He was fighting Injin Chi. Now that is not happening. We will see who he fights,” said Finkel, whose contract with the Filipino southpaw expired last Jan. 31.
“When I was with him (Pacquiao), this chaos was controlled and when we announced a fight, it didn?t get changed. I would love to still be with Manny. But if not, I still want the best for him and this is definitely not it,” said Finkel, who is apparently disappointed with the way things are going for Pacquiao.
“When will he wake up?” he asked.
Arum declared on Tuesday that Pacquiao will make a return to the city which hosted his coming out party four years ago.
Still trying to make a name for himself, Pacquiao demolished Barrera in that fight. The win eventually catapulted Pacquiao to international stardom.
The Harvard-educated lawyer said Top Rank matchmaker non-pareil Bruce Trampler is currently looking for a suitable foe Pacquiao.
