:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1923060/GYI0063484768.jpg)
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum gave a nice talking in circles quote to Lem Satterfield of The Ring when asked about the potential for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr to finally hook it up in the ring on May 5. This is a really great Bob quote, because he basically says nothing, but makes it appear he's saying something:
"I'm not confident about anything. I just think that the public wants that fight," said Arum. "Certainly, we at Top Rank want that fight. Manny wants that fight, and I believe that Floyd wants that fight. So, why wouldn't I be optimistic?"
Let's break this down.
- "I'm not confident about anything." -- Pretty straightforward. Arum talks of investors, talks of Koncz meeting with Team Mayweather, but has no confidence that the fight can be made.
- "I just think that the public wants that fight." -- What tipped him off, I wonder?
- "Certainly, we at Top Rank want that fight." -- Well, certainly. This sort of addresses the criticism that Bob Arum does not want the fight at all.
- "Manny wants that fight, and I believe that Floyd wants that fight." -- There you go then. The fight will happen, because both fighters want it, and Bob Arum wants it. Nothing can get in the way of that -- that's stone cold lockdown stuff. Everyone wants it. There's money in it. Let's go.
- "So, why wouldn't I be optimistic?" -- Was his optimism in question here? Also, the lack of confidence may be a reason to assume optimism isn't really high. See? He says nothing, but it's a quote about the fight where he doesn't say no.
In the end: "Everyone wants this fight, including myself and both of the fighters, and it is -- in my opinion -- a fight the public wants to see. But I am not confident that it will happen, but I am optimistic it will happen. But not confident. No, no."
Arum also says that he expects Miguel Cotto to stay under the Top Rank banner, which is now what most figure will indeed happen, and compares Cotto's loyalty to that of Marvin Hagler.