Mad rush for Pacquiao

Bob Arum, arguably the world’s premier promoter, is one of the very least surprised why there is a mad rush to land a fight with Manny Pacquiao.

“They all want a taste of the money,” Arum told the Bulletin early this week when asked about why the likes of Shane Mosley and even his promoter Oscar De La Hoya have been making noise – and almost on their bended knees – appealing that a fight between Pacquiao and Mosley be staged instead of the one that is close to being done.

Arum said negotiations are underway – and proceeding smoothly – for Pacquiao to face Miguel Cotto, another Top Rank chattel like Pacquiao, on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand with Pacquiao, it’s going to be like this in the future because Manny brings the money,” said the Hall of Fame promoter.

Arum said everything is about the money involved in a Pacquiao fight that makes seemingly level-headed men like Mosley suddenly go way over-the-top.

“They want to fight him because of the money (that comes with fighting Pacquiao),” Arum said.

Pacquiao stands to earn much more than what he got from fighting De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton when he tangles with Cotto.

Being the undisputed face of boxing, Pacquiao is a certified box-office and pay-per-view star and this is the main reason why Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez have been itching to be rewarded with a date with a Pacquiao fight, noted Arum, who inked Pacquiao to a lucrative contract in late-2006 following the Filipino’s twin demolition job on erstwhile Top Rank top talent Erik Morales.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao will get to see the content of Arum’s proposal for a Cotto fight when Canadian Mike Koncz arrives in Manila on Tuesday.

Koncz is one of Pacquiao’s advisers and he told this paper yesterday in an overseas call that the proposal is “reasonable” but it would be all up to Pacquiao to decide whether to accept it or not.

“I don’t want to negotiate in the media. What I’ll do is present this to Manny then we’ll see what happens next,” said Koncz, who met with Arum last weekend in Las Vegas.

Source: mb.com.ph