Bob Arum Thoughts: Mayweather Brings No Business, Pacquiao Will Be Forced to Choose, Guerrero Is Nobody

Apparently Bob Arum has been reading the nonstop press releases and puff pieces that are backing Robert Guerrero for a May 5 date with Floyd Mayweather Jr, because the veteran promoter didn't learn anything from the last time he was certain Mayweather had found an opponent for the date, when he claimed that Mayweather was set to fight Erik Morales, which turned out to be, you know, false.

He also made perhaps his most bizarre statement to date about his former fighter.

Speaking with Ronnie Nathanielsz, Arum had this to say about a potential fight with Guerrero, and he's also still insisting that the MGM Grand wasn't secure for Mayweather on May 5, even though it is, and was:

In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard, Arum said Mayweather "is apparently going to fight Robert Guerrero. Can you believe that. They won’t do any business at all."

Arum claimed that MGM Grand which Mayweather’s camp had long announced as the venue for the planned May 5 fight even before he was sentenced to a prison term, was "bullshit because MGM didn’t want to give him the date until they found out what Pacquiao was doing. Mayweather brings in no business."

That's right, boxing fans and people who probably aren't but might be reading this anyway: Bob Arum says Floyd Mayweather brings in no business for Las Vegas.

I know Manny Pacquiao brings in more business. I know that. But for God's sake -- does it really need to be so petty that Arum feels he has to make someone out there believe, if he possibly can, that Mayweather has no standing at all, that he's not a huge star?

As for the Robert Guerrero thing -- well, look, they'll do some business. You know. Because Mayweather does SOME business against anyone. Kind of like how Pacquiao does SOME business against anyone, even when nobody asked for the fight, like Josh Clottey or pet rock Margarito, and by the way, if Mayweather fights Guerrero at the MGM Grand, I guarantee he pulls a bigger gate than either of those Cowboys Stadium fights did, which were a genius idea, really, they were.

I mean, goddamn. You try to be fair to both sides and be balanced, and these guys just keep saying things like this, and it ruins the whole attempt.

Then there's the topic of Manny Pacquiao's next fight. Arum is heading over to the Philippines and blah blah blah, you know the deal, the four options for a likely June 9 date are Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Tim Bradley and Lamont Peterson. Roach wants Peterson, it seems. Others want Marquez. I'm sure someone wants Bradley, somewhere. Cotto is a nice man and we all like him.

But Arum says he doesn't have a favorite. Manny, who is his own boss and makes his own decisions (except when it comes to fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr, that's for Bobarum and Toprank to decide) will be, yes, forced to make up his own mind, because he is an individual and the boss:

Arum said he is "leaning to nobody" adding that he is "going to make Manny choose for himself after I lay everything out."

"I'm gonna lay it out here, you guys. And then I'm going to make him choose. Now I'm not giving any specifics as to how I'll lay it out..." Maybe Arum will make a "yuck!" face after presenting options he doesn't particularly care to pursue.

And of course, Bob says that Manny and Floyd can fight in November, blah blah blah, it's always next time, maybe later, definitely after this one, we'll see, you know, etc.