VETERAN promoter Bob Arum has cautiously manifested surprise at Manny Pacquiao’s continued refusal to name his preferred foe in a scheduled April 9 farewell fight in Las Vegas.
That, of course, was a mild way of putting it.
The way things have dragged for Pacquiao’s supposed final bout (as decreed by his promoter), Arum has all the reasons to be bothered.
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Arum said: “Being surprised is a polite word for it.”
Wasn’t he actually getting disgruntled?
“Again, it’s his career, it’s his life,” Arum stressed. “The announcement will come when it will come.”
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Arum, bewildered, next made it known he would go on with his scheduled April 9 promotion at the MGM Grand Las Vegas—with or without Pacquiao.
Meanwhile, the camp of WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford has started drawing a contingency plan for the unbeaten world titlist.
Crawford, together with WBO welterweight Tim Bradley, was being prominently mentioned as Pacquiao’s possible foe in Arum’s slated April 9 card.
There was supposed to be an announcement on Pacquiao’s next opponent during the world super bantamweight title fight between eventual winner Nonito Donaire Jr. and Mexico’s Cesar Juarez in Puerto Rico on Dec. 11.
This was promised by Arum, who next had to cancel the announcement at the last minute.
Reason given: Pacquiao has not made up his mind.
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Before all this, Pacquiao claimed in his Facebook account late in October that they were in the process of negotiating a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe readily dumped the Pacquiao claim of a rematch negotiation.
Said Ellerbe: “Floyd Mayweather Jr. is RETIRED, end of discussion.”
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Well said. However, the rumor mill went hectic with speculations after Mayweather was spotted early this week in Dubai, supposedly on a wild spending spree, with a 24-strong contingent.
Mayweather also mentioned something about “enjoying the Royal Treatment” in his Dubai visit.
Sharp-nosed pundits were of the opinion Mayweather did not fly all the way to Dubai only to pick up a million-dollar diamond-studded watch.