Bob Arum: Blames Schaefer and "that creep Oscar" for poisoning Mayweather-Pacquiao

December 28, 2009

BOB ARUM: BLAMES SCHAEFER AND "THAT CREEP OSCAR" FOR POISONING MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO
By G. Leon


"Our position is really straight forward and there's no way in hell they're not going to accept our position. This has never before happened in boxing, let alone Nevada. Let's leave it to the Nevada Commission and let them take over the governing of the event."

GL: To be clear, if this fight doesn't happen under the full jurisdiction of the NSAC as every fight before it, then it's just not going to happen.

Bob Arum: "Absolutely! Who are we, the fighters to make the rules? We've got a Commission, let them make the rules. If you want to come before the Commission and ask them for additional tests for both fighters, you want to test them going into the ring, in the ring, whatever you want to do, you're the Commission tell us. As far as I'm concerned the Nevada Commission are boxing people. They'll make the rules that will protect the fighters and we'll get all this silly stuff done and over with."

GL: As a boxing guy reading between the lines, it seems to me that you're not so subtly telling the Mayweather camp where they can go and this is what they get for overplaying their hand because they basically had all of their concessions and decided to go public and accuse Manny...

BA: (cutting in) "Exactly. Let's do this the right way. Manny Pacquiao is 100% an honest kid. He's never cheated and virtually every doctor except for this guy from USADA says you can determine everything from urine analysis. People in that organization hate that guy that has been a loudmouth. Ask him how many blood tests there were from 29 days before the Olympics until after the competition was over. YOu know what the answer is? ZERO. If they didn't do any blood tests until after the athlete competed what the hell are they talking about? What are we trying to subject these fighters to?"

GL: And this isn't a position your going to bend on, it's just take it or leave it at this point.

BA: "Absolutely. Not particularly when we found out that in his office Schaefer told Ron Nathanielz that Pacquiao was a cheat, that he was taking drugs and so forth. And his dialogue with this creep from the USADA started in September. We have evidence of that, we have all of the inside stuff. This is a whole campaign on his and that creep Oscar's part to smear Pacquiao because he chose us over them. I'll bet you all the money in the world, I don't know this for a fact, but this whole idea was put in their ear by Schaefer."

GL: For somebody who allowed Todd duBoef to take the lead, you seem to be telling everyone what it is.

BA: "Well, once I saw what was happening, I said to myself, I'm going to get emotional about this, let's see if Todd, who is cooler can salvage this and play along with them. I'll show you the documents, when they put this in the documents, I immediately crossed it out and when we returned our contract to them it didn't include that clause."

GL: Do you think boxing needs better standards for testing?

BA: "I think there should be more pre-fight testing with urine analysis, but our doctors and experts tell us that every single thing that can be picked up in blood, is better picked up in urine analysis. The only reason they do the blood after the guy competes is because they freeze the blood and it stays good for eight years, the urine decomposes after a while. If they want to take blood after the fight, if they want to freeze it fine, who gives a ****? But that's why there's no blood testing until after the competition at the Olympics and that's something this scumbag never said."

GL: What's the Mayweather camp's deadline?

BA: "On Monday we're going to make a deal with Lou and Malignaggi and we're going to put a deal together with the same kind of procedures in place for Manny's next fight, and that'll shut up Malignaggi also. He's been keeping quiet now because he doesn't want to blow a fight, but that's fine. Either way, I'm sure he'll be satisfied."

GL: Considering some of his opinions, some are surprised you chose that direction.

BA: "Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but what the **** is everybody talking about? He was 135 for Diaz, 142 for De La HOya, 138 for Hatton and 143 for Cotto. Where is the difference in weight? He's been virtually the same weight for the last two years."

GL: If Mayweather and Pacquiao is salvaged, are you disappointed at the black cloud that has already been cast above the promotion? Isn't this a black eye on an event that should have been absolutely positive?

BA: "I think you're absolutely right, but I think our litigation will proceed in any event. Our major litigation is against Golden Boy for the promotional rights of Pacquiao and that's about to go bye-bye."

GL: Golden Boy still makes money on Pacquiao fights, yes?

BA: "Yes, but we're going before the arbitrator to get that removed and that's going to cost them millions of dollars. And that includes the profit that they would have gotten from the Cotto fight, which is probably between $1.5-$2M on their end."

GL: Closing thoughts?

BA: "My closing thoughts are, this nonsense has got to stop otherwise Mayweather can pound sand. It's simple as that. We're not going to put up with this nonsense anymore. It's made a farce out of boxing. It's made a farce out of the event and it's been a calculated attempt to smear the name of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather should know better. The only thing I can think of is, he's using this as an excuse to get out of the fight."


Source: Boxing Talk.