Arum, like Marquez, fears for Pacquiao, too
Bob Arum didn’t have to be asked how he thinks Manny Pacquiao did in his last fight against Keith Thurman. Like everyone else, the veteran matchmaker felt Pacquiao did superbly.
Arum has stressed Pacquiao, the lone eight-division champion in boxing, should not again figure in a similar fight.
Arum is in great fear.
“I really am worried, he knows how I feel,” Arum has told Fight Hub TV.
For the record, Arum had warned ahead of the Pacquiao-Thurman fight that the 40-year-old fighting Filipino senator was risking brain injury by continuing to fight at such an age.
Pacquiao took a lot of punches, Arum swore.
“I’m really concerned. He can’t take that kind of punishment at that age and wind up—God forbid—like Muhammad Ali,” Arum said.
Nothing to worry if Pacquiao was, say, only 30 or 35.
“If he had done the same years back, hey, really great, you don’t worry about him so much. But in his 40s? To take punishment like that? I really am worried,” Arum said.
Before Arum, there was Juan Manuel Marquez, with whom Pacquiao did a four-fight epic, to call on Pacquiao to look after himself.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen to Manny but he needs to decide for his future,” Marquez said.
“He’s getting hit too much, Thurman landed many punches with power,” Marquez added.
Both Arum and Marquez were not recommending for Pacquiao to quit boxing immediately, but were instead trying to tell Pacquiao to be more careful in picking a next foe.
Pacquiao, who has decided to stay out of the ring this year, is expected to return to action early next year. His chief adviser, Sean Gibbons, said Pacquiao would be ready for whoever is presented to him.
Marquez, for his part, was quick to warn IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., who had called out Pacquiao after beating Mikey Garcia earlier in the year, could prove too big and skillful.
Arum said: “Pacquiao shouldn’t fight Spence or Terence Crawford. His best option is either to retire or wait for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.”
Mayweather?
“Yes, I think that’s the only fight,” Arum cried “Pacquiao is gonna be president of the Philippines!”
Arum did not elaborate.
