By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, livid over the unconscionable demands of Floyd Mayweather Jr for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao to undergo random blood tests as well as urine tests conducted by the US Anti Doping Agency before their planned March 13 fight told us late Wednesday morning, “is off as of now.”
 

Arum made it clear that Pacquiao who has a phobia for needles and extracting too much blood which weakens him said he would gladly agree to have a blood test before the initial press conference and after the fight, plus urinalysis anytime he wants. What more? asked Arum.

Arum said “doctors will tell you that blood-testing is not even sure anymore and urinalysis is the state-of-the-art testing for drugs. But they don’t want the fight which is what I suspected from the beginning or they want to torture Pacquiao to throw him off his game.”

The astute promoter said he told them “absolutely not. That’s where we stand and we are prepared to walk away. I’m not going to bully this kid and Freddie (Roach) is adamant about that point.”

Arum said “they can go to hell as far as I’m concerned including (Richard) Schaefer although I don’t think it’s his idea, I think its Floyd’s idea and we are going to go on and do something else. This is an absolute outrage.”

He said the Nevada State Athletic Commission under its highly respected executive director Keith Kizer is “beside themselves” over the Mayweather demands and said “their drug testing is the best in the world and it’s an insult to them.”

Arum questioned the motives and asked “who is this ignorant, illiterate kid demanding this. Who is he? This has never ever happened in professional boxing.”

Pacquiao, in a statement issued by his adviser Michael Koncz said he had always wanted athletes to serve as role models in every sport and to keep sports free from drugs and that he was willing to undergo tests as he has always done in the past and come clean. Koncz said “we wanted to do the fight because that’s what the people wanted but obviously Mayweather is scared and looked for a way out.”

In an email to www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said “Olympic style drug testing is not one blood test 30 days before the fight and one after the fight. It is random drug testing which would include somewhere between 3-5 blood tests and 8-12 urine tests taken during the period January 1 to March 15. Blood tests by the way are taken in a non-intrusive manner and are less than one tablespoon.”

Arum mentioned several issues that arose during the negotiations day after day. He pointed out that Mayweather “had no intention of coming in at 147” which is the welterweight limit and then said he didn’t want to fight for the WBO title and we said okay, if you come an ounce over 147 you are going to pay us $10 million. Then this all started.”

Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza responded to the Mayweather camps demand that the blood testing go all the way up to the weighin saying it was “ludicrous” pointing out that “there is nothing that they are going to find 24 hours before the fight that they cannot find five minutes after the fight. We are not refusing to give blood, we are not willing to give it that close to the fight.”

Ariza said he is convinced that Mayweather is “just posturing and the reality of the situation is Mayweather is looking for a reason to get out of this fight because Manny is going to give him the beating of a lifetime. He will sustain a beating that he never ever endured in his whole career in boxing. What he feels in his own small mind is that his legacy will go down being beaten by Manny Pacquiao.”

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-31561.html

Promoter Bob Arum believes Dallas could still host Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Floyd Mayweather Jnr in March next year.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has tabled a guaranteed $25m offer to stage the fight at the opulent Cowboys Stadium, setting up a bidding war with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

While the MGM could come up with a bigger offer based on closed circuit sales and the knock-on benefits of being in the gambling Mecca, the Dallas gate could be twice as big – and Arum likes the guarantee.

“I’m saying that Dallas is a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money,” said Arum.

The Dallas deal looked dead when Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, representing Mayweather, called off a trip to Texas last week.

But Arum insists all avenues should be explored ahead of what promises to be the biggest-grossing fight in the sport’s history.

“I think everybody has an obligation to see,” he added. “I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas Stadium.

“My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that’s where I want the deal.”

Source: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12183_5768740,00.html

By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao won’t fight at Cowboys Stadium, which, in and of itself, was not enough to anger Bob Arum into withdrawing from active participation in the negotiations.

The way Mayweather’s representative made the 11th-hour pronouncement that Dallas is out of the running was, however.

Arum has passed on the negotiating responsibilities for his company, Top Rank Inc., which represents Pacquiao, to Todd duBoef, the company’s president.

duBoef is Arum’s stepson and has been groomed for several years as the 78-year-old promoter’s successor as chief executive of the boxing promotional company.

In the broad scheme of things, the maneuver holds little significance, although it certainly is symbolic of Arum’s distaste for the way the Dallas dismissal happened, with Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, telling him of the decision hours before their scheduled departure to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Wednesday.

Schaefer — who represents Mayweather in the negotiations but is not empowered to make decisions unilaterally without the fighter’s involvement — did not respond to telephone messages Thursday. His administrative assistant said he would have no comment on any matters related to Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations until a final deal was struck.

Arum’s decision also probably is based, in some part, on his difficult history with Mayweather.

Arum frequently has said he would not allow personal dislike for the Grand Rapids native to interfere with negotiations for the fight, and his withdrawal could be designed for precisely that purpose.

Also Thursday, Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, told The Los Angeles Times that an 11th-hour offer by Staples Center to host the fight probably is a non-starter because, by his side’s estimation, state taxation in California could cost the Filipino fighter between $3 million and $5 million.

Several other sites have been considered and dismissed, including the Congo, Dubai, Atlanta, Miami and New Orleans.

That leaves MGM Grand in Las Vegas as the clear-cut frontrunner — and the longer talks drag out for a fight just more than three months away, the more likely it becomes that MGM will host.

Source: http://www.mlive.com/mayweather/index.ssf/2009/12/bob_arum_turns_mayweather-pacq.html

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes that at this point the MGM Grand has the edge in the bid to land the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight for the ages on March 13 although Dallas Cowboys owner Gerry Jones is vying for the right to stage the multi-million dollar fight at the new state-of-the-art $1.2 billion Cowboys stadium in Dallas, Texas.

New Orleans which initially evidenced interest in a bid to stage the fight hasn’t contacted the promoters in the last few days. However, Arum said “if they are still interested they’ll contact us and we (Arum, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Ross Greenberg of HBO) will make a visit to New Orleans which is not too far from Dallas” which the trio will visit on Wednesday to meet with Jones.

Asked who he felt was the front-runner, Arum replied “I’ll have to say its Las Vegas because the fighters, most of their big fights have been in Las Vegas, it’s a great climate to do a fight but this is professional boxing and money talks.”

Arum clarified “if we get an incredible offer from Dallas and Jerry Jones then it will be incumbent upon Las Vegas to match it or come close.”

The astute Top Rank promoter noted that “the best weekend that they (Las Vegas) have had in months was the weekend of November 14 when Manny fought (Miguel) Cotto. The town was packed. There was a great buzz and when its around a boxing match the people come in. There is something subliminal about the fact that they spend a lot of money, not as much on the gambling but in the best restaurants, the nightclubs and they buy clothing so they had a phenomenal weekend and they know this fight will be even bigger.”

Arum said also that “many people coming to the fight would want to stay in the new city center because architecturally its such an incredible edifice.”

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-30861.html

By NICK GIONGCO

A ringside seat to the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather super fight next year will amount to the annual income of a minimum wage earner.

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the Bulletin Sunday that a premium seat in the March 13, 2010 welterweight title fight will cost $2,500 (P117,500), while the cheapest will be sold at $500, assuming the fight is held at the 17,000-seat MGM Grand.

If the fight is held, say, at the 80,000-capacity Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the price of the seat would remain the same, while the inexpensive seat will be sold lower than $500.

Arum said a meeting with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer, who represents Mayweather, will be held Monday followed by an inspection of the Cowboys Stadium near Dallas by him and Top Rank officials is scheduled On Wednesday.

“We would know the venue by the end of this week,” said Arum, stressing that billionaire Jerry Jones, who owns the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, is more than willing to put up a juicy offer that could rival even Las Vegas’ proposal.

The $2,500 appears to be the most expensive ticket to a boxing event as it is slightly higher than the top seat – $2,400 – that was peddled during the June 2002 heavyweight match between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis.

Should Arum stick to the hefty price, it would be much higher than the $2,000 seat that was sold during the Oscar De La Hoya-Mayweather tiff that took place in May 2007.

Pacquiao and Mayweather are assured of $25 million each and their earnings could go up to as high as $40 million apiece depending on the pay-per-view sales.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/232784/pacquiaomayweather-ticket-cost-a-fortune

By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines – Don’t expect to hear anything from Bob Arum or Richard Schaefer in the days or weeks ahead if it’s regarding the negotiations for Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“There’s a gag order and we have to respect it. We are not allowed to talk,” said Arum over the phone yesterday after sitting down and having lunch with Schaefer in Day One of the negotiations.

Arum said he can’t give out details regarding the negotiations which of course would center on how the purse, which could reach $150 million, should be divided between the two superstars.

“I can’t. I really can’t,” said the legendary promoter from Top Rank, who said he’s not even sure how long it would take for him and Schaefer, who’s representing Mayweather in the talks, to negotiate.

“I have no idea. Thanksgiving is coming up and I won’t be back here in my office until Monday,” said Arum from his headquarters in Las Vegas. He said he’s off to a much-deserved break in Colorado.

The gag order, according to Arum, will be in effect “until our negotiations are either finalized or terminated.”

He and Schaefer met in Las Vegas over lunch Monday to see to it whether the fight that everybody wants to see could take place next year. Reports said they’re looking at May 1 as a date for the fight.

But that would depend on Pacquiao’s political schedule because the reigning pound-for-pound champion is seeking a Congressional seat in the May 10 national elections in the Philippines.

Arum had earlier penciled March 13 as the date for Pacquiao’s next fight, in fact it’s already listed at www.boxrec.com, but Freddie Roach said if it’s Mayweather, March is out of the question.

“If it’s Mayweather, we need time to get ready for that fight. We have to come out with a real different style. It’s a whole different ballgame,” he said,

And he’s not even looking at a “tuneup” match by March if that’s what you can call a possible fight with whoever’s out there – like Shane Mosley, Andre Berto or Edwin Valero.

“If we get Mayweather, why risk losing that (tuneup) fight. I’d say he rest for a while, enjoy the holidays, run for elections, and the Congressman Manny Pacquiao will kick Mayweather’s ass,” said Roach.

For the meantime, the guessing game is on as to the venue of the Pacquiao-Mayweather if ever it takes place. Arum had said that just won’t happen in New York because of its high (15 percent) tax structure.

But there’s the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, a new one that could seat more than a hundred thousand, the Super Dome in New Orleans, another one in Vancouver, Canada, and a proposed outdoor arena that can be built in Las Vegas just for the fight.

The venue, however, will only be taken up seriously once the fight is sealed. For the meantime, there’s a “gag order,” and the world will just have to wait and see.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=526852&publicationSubCategoryId=69