Arum goes with 45-45 split for Manny-Floyd fight
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. AP/INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
PROMOTER Bob Arum, accused of stan-ding in the way of a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight, has offered a compromise proposal to the new WBA junior middleweight champion.
Going with Pacquiao’s stance on the revenue-sharing scheme, Arum said on Saturday night’s premiere of HBO’s The Fight Game with Jim Lampley, that he is amenable to a 45-45 percent split, with the remaining 10 percent going to the winner of the megabuck fight.
“Manny Pacquiao has now taken the position, which I endorse,” said Arum.
“If Floyd Mayweather thinks he’s the greatest fighter of all time, let’s do it 45 percent to Mayweather, 45 percent to Pacquiao and 10 percent to the winner.”
In January, Mayweather called Pacquiao and offered him a flat purse of $40 million but with zero share in the pay-per-view revenues. Pacquiao rejected it.
The unbeaten Mayweather, claiming he is boxing’s biggest draw, also stressed that he will not agree to a 50-50 split.
“If Mayweather believes he can beat Pacquiao, which I don’t think he believes, he’ll pick up more than 50 percent that way,” Arum said. “But it’s up to Floyd.”
Mayweather’s last fight with Miguel Cotto on May 6 drew 1.5 million PPV buys, eclipsing the 1.41 million Pacquiao posted in besting Juan Manuel Marquez by unanimous decision last November.
