Arum considering 4-man tournament for pacquiao

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Having all but dismissed May as a month that Floyd Mayweather Jr. could face Manny Pacquiao, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told RingTV.com that he is considering a four-man tournament scenario should he fail to complete a proposed rematch between Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto for June 9 in Las Vegas.

The tournament would also hinge on whether or not Arum could secure a November match between Mayweather and Pacquiao. If not, then Arum would match Pacquiao against WBO junior welterweight titleholder Tim Bradley, and RING lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez against IBF/WBA junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson "somewhere around the same time" this spring, Arum said on Thursday.

The Pacquiao-Bradley and Marquez-Peterson winners would be matched in November if Mayweather is not available in the event that Pacquao defeats Bradley.

Bradley, Cotto, Marquez and Peterson were all being considered, along with WBC welterweight beltholder Mayweather, as potential opponents for WBO welterweight titleholder Pacquiao, although Cotto emerged as the frontrunner heading into this past week. But the negotiations appear to have stalled over the issue of weight: Pacquiao doesn't want to fight above the 147-pound welterweight limit, and Cotto does not want to drop to it.

Cotto's advisor, Gaby Penagaricano, could not immediatley be reached, although he has also acknowledged that Cotto has had talks with the Mayweather camp about a potential fight.

In addition, Mayweather is slated to begin an 87-day jail sentence staring on June 1, and has targeted May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his next bout.

But Arum and Pacquiao's promoter, Michael Koncz, have dismissed that date for Mayweather-Pacquiao, citing their camp's desire to construct a 40,000-seat, temporary outdoor venue near the Las Vegas Strip in late May or early-June to maximize revenue.

"We could have a tournament. Let's say that if Mayweather doesn't ever come to the table, which is a possibility," said Arum.

"Then let's say that Manny fights Bradley because Cotto has a problem with the weight, then Marquez fights Peterson, and the winner of that fights fights the winner of Pacquiao-Bradley -- if that's the fight that we make."

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, could not be reached. But the notion of a tournament absent a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight wrankled Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who handles Mayweather.

"I could give a s--t about Arum's bulls--t tournament. It just goes to show you that he's already saying what he's going to do in November. He had no intentions of doing a Pacquiao fight with Mayweather. I hope that the public realizes that this guy did not want the fight. He's already talking about a tournament. So let him do and do his bulls--t tournament," said Schaefer.

"The fact is that at least he realizes that he's having two semi-main events with the winners fighting each other. We believe that the time for doing tuneups and lead-ins, that that time has come and gone. We believe in only promoting main events. Every one of our fights is a final. There is no semi-main event, as he is suggesting here with this tournament. But I couldn't really care. Let him go and do that.

"We knew all along and we have been saying that he has had zero -- and you can print ZERO in capital letters -- intentions of ever making a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. Otherwise, he would have called and he knows exactly who is putting the fights together. But he's had no intentions of sitting down with me and getting the fight done because he knows that his bulls--t won't fly withg me and that I see right through him."

 

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Arum emphasized that the tournament's completion would depend on whether or not he could make a November fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao.

"We want to sign a contract for the November fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather within the next two weeks in order to give us enough lead time subject to each of them winning their two interim fights. This tournament won't take place if we're able to do that. I want to make it plain that a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather is my first priority," said Arum.

"So a lot of things have to happen, like if the Mayweather fight with Pacquiao can't happen in November. If there is no Cotto because of the weight, if there is no Mayweather because of the craziness, and Pacquiao fights Bradley -- if -- and then Marquez fights Peterson somewhere around the same time on two different pay per view shows, then why wouldn't I make the winners against each other if a November fight can't be made with Mayweather?"

Arum said that he already has run the format by Marquez's promoter, Fernando Beltran, and that he planned to speak with Peterson's manager and trainer, Barry Hunter, about it "later on this morning."

Marquez told RingTV.com that he would like to take a tuneup fight on March 17 in a newly-constructed venue in Mexico City before perhaps rising a weight class to challenge Peterson, who dethroned Amir Khan for his belts by disputed split-decision last month.

A victory over Peterson would make Marquez only the third Mexican fighter to win a fourth title over as many different weight divisions, a mark that was first achieved in September when Erik Morales scored a 10th-round TKO over Pablo Cesar Cano for the vacant WBC junior welterweight belt.

"I told Fernando that my next opportunity I would like it to be against Manny Pacquiao. Everybody knows. I want to take maybe one fight for preparation. That would be in March. Maybe," said Marquez, who would be facing a fighter who idolizes him in Peterson.

"I would like a fight with Lamont Peterson for my fourth title... Lamont Peterson is a great fighter because he won over Amir Khan, who is another good fighter. So Lamont Peterson is a great fighter for me to fight."

Beltran, president of Zanfer Promotions, said Arum had targeted the Dallas Cowboys Stadium for Marquez-Peterson in April.

Beltran could not immediately be reached during Thursday's meeting with Marquez, although he acknowledged having mulled the Marquez-Peterson with Arum during an earlier interview with RingTV.com.

"Definitely, definitely, that's what we're working on right now. We want Lamont Peterson. We want to fight in Mexico first, and that would mean a lot in Mexico for him to fight in his [home country] before his fans. Right after that, we really want to go and fight Lamont Peterson, and then, of course, we want to deal with Manny Pacquiao," said Beltran.

"I have been reading everything about Manny, but I don't think he wants Marquez immediately. I think that Peterson is a very good fighter who stays in front of you. He throws a lot of punches and he's a very experienced guy. Styles make fights, and I really think that it will be a really tremendous match up."

 

Below is Arum's complete interview in Q&A format.

RingTV.com: So where do things stand right now?

Bob Arum: If there is no big fight in May with Manny and Floyd, then hopefully he can fight whoever he wants in May, we can fight whoever we fight in June, but we should sit down immediately to negotiate a big fight in November.

RingTV.com: But you want a Cotto fight at this point?

BA: As for Cotto, we met with him on Monday. Obviously, he has been saying that there is a problem with the weight at 147 pounds, and that that may not be resolvable.

I wouldn't say that that is a minor detail, so it's not nearly a done deal and it's not close to a done deal, and it may very well not happen. Everybody has to figure that out for themselves.

RingTV.com: So where does that leave Pacquiao at this point?

BA: Manny is fighting on June 9, without any question, and the question about who he is going to fight is still to be determined.

RingTV.com: What scenario do you see for Marquez and Peterson?

BA: Fernando is meeting with Marquez today, and Barry just called me, so I've got to call him back. I don't know Barry's views on that fight. I've never spoken to him about that.

I'm going to call him right now. I'll speak with him later this morning. We could have a tournament. Let's say that if Mayweather doesn't ever come to the table, which is a possibility.

Then let's say that Manny fights Bradley because Cotto has a problem with the weight, then Marquez fights Peterson, and the winner of that fights fights the winner of Pacquiao-Bradley if that's the fight that we make.

We want to sign a contract for the November fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather within the next two weeks in order to give us enough lead time subject to each of them winning their two interim fights.

This tournament won't take place if we're able to do that. I want to make it plain that a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather is my first priority.

So a lot of things have to happen, like if the Mayweather fight with Pacquiao can't happen in November If there is no Cotto because of the weight, if there is no Mayweather because of the craziness, and Pacquiao fights Bradley -- if --and then Marquez fights Peterson around the same time on two different pay per view shows, why wouldn't I make the winners against each other if a November fight can't be made with Mayweather?

RingTV.com: Beltran told me that you were looking at Cowboys Stadium for Marquez-Peterson?

BA: That is correct. Marquez and Peterson would be the main event. Absolutely. Marquez did tremendous numbers with Pacquiao, and a lot of Mexicans think that he won the fight.

There is a large Mexican population in Dallas, and Marquez is a big hero in Mexico and with the Mexican-Americans, and with the right prices, it would draw very well. It would be a great card.

RingTV.com: Where would that leave Cotto, fighting Chavez, if not Mayweather?

BA: Cotto could fight Mayweather or Cotto could fight Chavez, yeah, sure.

RingTV.com: How would you make a Cotto-Chavez fight when Chavez is so big?

BA: Chavez would have to come to 158.