Bob Arum: A Case Study in Delusion
by CollegeDropIn on Jan 9, 2012 1:14 PM EST
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PrintWhen you're 24 and delusional most would call it idealism or perhaps an entitled mentality. When you're in your 80s however, and delusional then most doctors would say you suffer from dementia. Not to make light of that unfortunate and crippling mental disease that affects so many of our grandparents and parents but instead I point out an obvious commentary on the man who somehow managed to wrestle the influence and power from the once relevant Don King. Well I shouldn't say "once relevant" maybe I mean if you look at who he promotes I mean...well yeah.
At this point I'm expecting Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao to hold a press conference in which Arum hands Manny his WBO title and he throws it in a trash can and then calls Floyd Mayweather a garbage picker. What else is there to do when you've made every excuse in the book, made outlandish statements about Floyd bringing no business to Las Vegas when he fights, and dodged every question about this fight like you're dodging bullets? I almost want to say that Bob Arum makes Jose Sulaiman look like a reasonable person.
More importantly besides the obvious shortchange of the average boxing fan, Bob Arum is shortchanging Manny Pacquiao by putting him in the middle of an apparent personal bone to pick with Floyd Mayweather. Arum knows the fight should, could, and can happen. Heck is must happen to be perfectly honest but he's willing to cut off Manny Pacquiao's nose to spite his own face. Why put the reputation of your own client at risk because you can't get over a former client leaving you ten years ago? I can't even remember what I ate ten minutes ago much less remember what I did and where I was ten years ago. But, such is the mind of great recollection when it involves money and someone losing a source of substantial monetary gain. Bob Arum needs to let it go and get this over with already. Let's just have the two fight in the fall during the presidential election and you have a huge event that matters taking place during an important event that should matter to all of us but really only matters to not enough of us, but that's a different issue entirely.
So until we hear concrete news about Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fighting each other inside the ring in an arena or stadium we should pay this soap opera no mind. In fact anything that comes from Bob Arum should be given the Colin Farrell treatment.
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I first dismissed Don King wanting to help make this fight happen because you know he had no dog in the hunt because neither Floyd nor Manny belong to er um are promoted by him, but the more I hear about Bob Arum’s nanny nanny boo boo talk the more I would be open to Don King coming in and making this happen. Of course he would want an unreasonable percentage of the revenue, an unneccessarily large amount of promotional control..you know the Don King usual. But hey double crossing ex convict aside, he knows how to put the best fights together for the fans.
If you think Arum does not want this fight and/or that he alone is preventing it friom hppening because of his former relationship with Floyd, then you are sorely and poorly misinformed and delusional.
Whether you care to read and/or believe history is your issue but he has deployed his team’s personell (lawyers, etc), resources and monies to negotiate and prepare contracts for this fight to happen not once but twice only to have his negotiationing partner renege.
Let me explain something CollegeDropin. Top rank makes more money fighting Floyd once let alone the three (possible) times they might meet if it is worthy of a trilogy….far more in fact….than with practically all the other Pacqiuao fights put together.
Do the math. He has. And so has his team. Internally, in their heads and on paper.
Manny vs Floyd is a fortune maker for everybody.
Now some like to call the old man….always capable of both insighful and inane promoter tlk simutaneously… a greedy frigging pig. At the same time the same critiques like to say that he is a shrewd old cad and the worst thing to happen to boxing.
Here is my response. Grredy pigs like lots of money. Correction. They LOVE lots of money. Moreover, real greedy pigs love lots of other peoples money. So you tell me why a smart, shrewd greedy pig would not want not lot…but the most possible….money he could make if he could. Pay attention to the could and know this. Bob Arum would like the most money he can make promoting boxing. Which BTW, his company does better BY FAR tan anyone in the business.
I said pay attention to the could…beacuse he can’t. He cannot make Floyd Money Mayweather fight his fighter Manny Pacquaio. Not for lack of trying. You see BOb, Todd, Carl and the whole TR team has tried and wants to make the biggest fight in boxing but the can’t fight someone who has walked away from negotiations, denied ever having them, and will not even discuss re-newing them.
Try making a deal with someone….in fact try asking a girl for a date (use money if charm fails you)….who does not want to deal with or date you. You can’t.
Blame the old man. He certainly says more than his share of some stupid things. He talks to very microphone put in front of him. Every smart comment is negated by the the gaffes as id the reality of today’s media, especially when one (like Arum or a celebrity or politician) love to hear himself talk. And ha been ‘promoting’ for years.
But know this. He has ordered his subordintes to make this fight. He knows that his step-son even chats with Floyd lately. But he also know that if he waits for Floyd to talk turkey about fighting Manny, he will be either older or dead. And manny will have missed every payday along the way.
But feel free to question or critique. Hold forth young man. Pretend that if Arum suddenly had his tongue tied and permanent larynigitis, that Manny and Floyd would fight.
Pretend that Floyd would fight. Enjoy the fantasy. Because dead or alive, no one at TR has been able to engae Floyd Mayweather in a conversation about discussing, negotiating and/or fighting Manny Pacquaio.
I hope the remainder of your college years teach you well. These may be some of the finest years of your life because when you get out, you have much to learn about the real world of deal making.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
by pakinpower on Jan 10, 2012 1:56 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
These may be some of the finest years of your life because when you get out, you have much to learn about the real world of deal making.
Ooh. Some hearty words of condescension! Good on ya, Uncle Bob. Ordering your “subordinates” to make the fight. Good on ya.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Jan 10, 2012 7:37 PM EST up reply actions
Serious question
What percentage of the blame would you give to Pacquiao/Top Rank if the fight continues not to be made?
"We've come a long way, and I'm not talking about Virginia Slims, either." - Art Howe
serious question???
absolute comedy :)
Not being bad, but given who you’re asking, the fact that you’re asking seriously, I find that hilarious :)
But I can answer it for you and save pakinpower the trouble of another long post…0%.
I think you’ve done the post of the year already :))
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
by BrianBrock on Jan 12, 2012 1:37 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
This made me laugh too.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Jan 12, 2012 7:57 PM EST up reply actions
Meant for East Coast LA
It takes Two to make a fight.
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
---- Muhammed Ali
Agreed. No good guys in this.
"We've come a long way, and I'm not talking about Virginia Slims, either." - Art Howe
The percentage has shifted over the years in my view. At first when Pacquiao’s star was rising around 09 Mayweather was running scared and making excuses. Now it seems Top Rank and Bob Arum are the ones making excuses. So I think the blame has shifted back and forth since the very idea of Mayweather/Pacquiao first entered the minds of both casual and hardcore boxing fans.
It’s not your fault. You didn’t know.
"He's still a very strong fighter, but I am way better than he is" - Miguel Cotto
by Apprentice on Jan 12, 2012 2:21 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This made me laugh.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Jan 12, 2012 7:56 PM EST up reply actions
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