While there is a general assumption that Manny Pacquiao will get by Ricky Hatton next month and then move on to face Floyd Mayweather later in 2009, Bob Arum wasn’t so sure. “I haven’t talked to Manny about it because we’re concentrating on Hatton because Hatton is a tough fight,” Arum said this week. “The question with a Mayweather fight is at what weight? That’s the big question. At 140 I don’t think there’s any problem making that fight. If Floyd wants to come in at a higher weight, I don’t know.”
“A catch-weight is a possibility also. But none of that has been discussed and I won’t let anyone discuss it. Until after this fight.”
What about the little fact that Mayweather has said many times to the media that he would never do business with Bob Arum again. “But he could go f*** himself, tell him that,” said Arum, as the reporters Franklin McNeil, George Willis and Tim Smith all burst into laughter.
I approached Arum a few minutes later for clarification, explaining the reason Mayweather said he won’t do business with Top Rank again was because he used it as a handy excuse to duck Cotto and Margarito when Arum tried to produce Cotto-Mayweather and Margarito-Mayweather clashes over the last two years.
Arum’s reply: “F*** Mayweather. Pacquiao’s the big attraction. He has to come to us if he wants it. If he doesn’t come to us, there’s dozens of other guys we can fight.”
Mayweather may have to come to terms with the fact he may have to accept the short end of the purse with Pacquiao, along with moving back down to 140. Because Mayweather really doesn’t have any other viable options, as Juan Manuel Marquez reportedly won’t fight him at 147, Sugar Shane Mosley is too much of a risk, and Paul Williams is even more of a dangerous risk for Floyd than Mosley.
This is all assuming Pacquaio takes care of business with Hatton, which is far from a certainty.
