‘Manny retirement nonsense’

TOP RANK promoter Bob Arum has two words for those who think it’s time for Manny Pacquiao to call it a day.

“That’s nonsense.”

Arum, who gave his assessment as to why a fight billed as a battle between warriors turned listless, said the Filipino ring icon hasn’t really been physically hurt and still has more than enough gas in his tank for more big fights.

They “don’t know what they are saying,” Arum said of people calling for Pacquiao’s retirement in an interview with the Inquirer.

“The time we would want him to retire is when he gets into drawn-out wars and he suffers some real physical damage,” Arum explained. “That’s the time you are going to worry about him slowing [down] and he should retire. Not now when he’s clearly as dominant as he’s ever been. That’s nonsense.”

The pound-for-pound king is coming off an overwhelming majority decision over Hall-of-Fame-in-waiting Shane Mosley three nights ago in a bout that drew boos because of how “Sugar” refused to engage the Filipino like earlier hyped.

Arum said it was clearly Mosley’s fault that he didn’t go toe-to-toe with Pacquiao, but at the same time hinted that it was hard to pin all the blame on the American.

When Pacquiao decked Mosley in round three, Arum said, “you could see in Mosley’s face it was all over.

“If Mosley had attacked or engaged with him, Mosley knew he was going to get knocked out,” said Arum. “That’s the reality of the situation.

“When he felt Manny’s power, the fight was over.”

Mosley was clearly no longer himself after the knockdown and the American admitted that he had not been hit as hard in his career. He kept backing away from Pacquiao’s reach, frustrating the Filipino.

Arum urged Pacquiao to strike while the iron is hot—or, to be more apt, while the cash registers continue to ring in his presence.

“Pacquiao can use the money and the money has never been bigger,” the veteran promoter said. “He’s going to make a fortune so, why would he retire when the money is rolling in the way it is?”

He said “we know his physical shape watching him in the gym. They all know it’s no mystery. He’s as energetic and attached to working hard in the gym better than any 20-year-old.”

Top Rank has lined up three possible foes for the Pacman, but the one generating the most buzz is the possible third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez.

Not does the Top Rank chief feel that such a bout will bring in major dollars, but it would also satisfy fight fans’ craving for thrills-per-minute action because after all those “close and even controversial clashes with Pacquiao, [Marquez] won’t back off.”

The Marquez bout is being penciled for a Nov. 12 playdate in Las Vegas.

Arum revealed that he met with Marquez at the Top Rank office last Saturday before the Pacquiao-Mosley fight and said “we tweaked the offer.

“The offer provides that the money which is the same that Mosley made ($5 million) which made him very happy. The fight would be at a catchweight of 144 pounds, which Manny has no trouble making.”

He said “the offer was satisfactory to Marquez so he now must send the offer to Golden Boy which he’ll do tomorrow (Tuesday in the US) and say I want to accept this offer. If you don’t match by May 16 I am going ahead and accepting it.”

Marquez is at the tailend of his contract with the Oscar De La Hoya outfit, but Golden Boy reserves the right to match the Top Rank offer.

Arum was confident “there is no way that they can match the offer because of the money part, which is $5 million plus $5 a home above 700,000 homes on pay-per-view.

“Based on the business Manny is doing, that’s worth another $3-$4 million. Then if Marquez wins the fight there is an automatic rematch in which Marquez gets $10 million plus the upside.”