MANILA, Philippines – Bob Arum wants the fight to happen. But he said it?s not going to happen.
The 82-year-old promoter, who had seen the best fights in boxing, is almost losing hope he?d ever see Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The fight has been talked about forever and nothing is happening. There are those who are in the same page with Arum in that it never will.
?Look, I?m tired of beating a dead horse,? he told Michael Woods of The Sweet Science in one of the stops of the press tour for Pacquiao?s rematch with Tim Bradley.
Even when he?s fighting someone else, Pacquiao has been hounded by questions on the Mayweather fight. If it doesn?t happen, the questions will hound him the rest of his life.
But Arum said Pacquiao is not to blame. It?s Mayweather?s fault, the legendary promoter said, why the fight that should break all existing records in boxing, isn?t happening. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Or why it may never happen at all.
Arum said it?s about time people stop talking about it and start looking at fights that will happen.
?Because it?s not productive. But we have to realize, and I know Mayweather, he doesn?t want to fight Pacquiao, because of Pacquiao?s style. Mayweather?s style is of great defense against a right-handed fighter,? Arum said.
?A fast lefty who can punch a little bit will give him trouble. Pacquiao really creates the biggest danger to Mayweathers? undefeated record, more than any other fighter. He?s not going to fight him. I tell Manny, Mayweather will make one demand after another, and you can accede to the demand, but he?s not going to get you the fight,? Arum added.
Pacquiao said he will do everything to make the fight happen. He will take the needle anytime of the day and said he will fight Mayweather for free.
But it?s not working ? yet.
?This is like a tactic, I?m not equating the politics, it?s like Hitler. Before the Second World War, ?give me Czechoslovakia, there?ll be peace,? and this and that.. and (Neville) Chamberlain (then UK Prime Minister) kept appeasing, kept appeasing…was there ever going to be peace? No. No. It?s not going to get anybody closer to that fight,? Arum added.
?That?s the truth. That?s the truth. You do something like that, that?s the tactic. You bully, you bully, you bully… finally the guy says, ?Enough,? and he says, ?See, you don?t want to fight me,? he told The Sweet Science.
