Can the Pacquiao-Matthysse title fight be saved?

Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao (centre L) poses for photographs with Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse (centre R) after a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on April 20, 2018, ahead of their world welterweight boxing championship bout in July. AFP

Veteran promoter Bob Arum has declared he was not 100 percent convinced if the WBA welterweight championship fight between Manny Pacquiao and Lucas Matthysse would take place.

The championship, slated in Kuala Lumpur on July 15, is being handled by Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, with Artum’s Top Rank Inc. appointed as a broadcast participant.

Nothing came after that initial Arum statement.

Yesterday, Arum was quoted as saying he would try to put up Matthyyse against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford if the Pacquiao-Matthysse fight doesn’t come off.

Arum said he would try to talk to Golden Boy Promotions, which handles Matthysse.

Money mess has obviously imperiled the WBA welterweight championship.

ESPN senior writer Dan Rafael said MP Promotions has missed several deadlines to finance various aspects of the fight and it is at risk of being called off.

Reports Dan Rafael: “An initial payment of $500,000 was made to the Golden Boy/Matthysse camp when the fight was signed, but the rest of the money for their side—$2 million according to a source—is more than a month past the deadline, when it was supposed to be deposited into an escrow account to hold the money until after the fight takes place.

“MP Promotions has also failed to make deadlines to deposit funds needed to cover production costs of commercials spots and other aspects of a fight that was initially going to be an ESPN pay-per-view event. However, Arum said that was no longer feasible because so many deadlines were missed and if the fight comes off, it would air in the United States either on ESPN or ESPN+, but that the television deal still needed to be finalized.”

There has been no immediate reply from Pacquiao, who has been training in isolation in his Wild Card camp in General Santos City.

Pacquiao has declared the result of his title fight against Matthysse will decide the remainder of his legendary career.

Hold it. As we went to press, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said the eight-division world champion had personally assured him the July 15 championship would push through.

“When the fight happens, all these critics can eat their words,” Koncz stated.