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Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says that a potential mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao may be more possible if 50 Cent and TMT Promotions will be handling the career of Mayweather going forward instead of Golden Boy Promotions. Of course, Arum has said that a lot of things could make Mayweather-Pacquiao more possible, but here's the newest statement anyway:
"I would think that if (50 Cent) promoted Floyd, then it would make a matchup between Pacquiao and Mayweather that much easier," said Arum. "You would have somebody that is a friend and a mentor that he can rely on and they would protect his interests in any kind of promotion, and I would be on the side of Pacquiao."
"I think that it would work wonderfully. In other words, I'm not looking to be the only promoter here because that might be very awkward. But certainly in a deal where Mayweather had his own promotional company, and Pacquiao his own, being us, I think that it would work splendidly."
Arum also says that he's rooting for TMT, and thinks 50 Cent can help bring the African-American community back to boxing in a big way.
TMT has already signed Yuriorkis Gamboa, Andre Dirrell, and Billy Dib, and new reports suggest that Andre Berto, Zab Judah, and Celestino Caballero will also be part of the outfit.
Mayweather will be released from county jail on August 3, after which he's expected to make some kind of announcement regarding the new promotional company. Most believe that Mayweather will be moving forward as the biggest in-ring piece of TMT, as well as a big piece behind the scenes, which would edge out Golden Boy's influence on Mayweather's career. Floyd has fought essentially under the Golden Boy banner since 2007, facing only their fighters, plus free agent Miguel Cotto.
There has already been animosity between 50 Cent and Oscar De La Hoya, though De La Hoya tried to backpedal after an initial offending comment, and Richard Schaefer has attempted to downplay the whole thing.
Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO) controversially lost his last fight on June 9 to Timothy Bradley, but seems to have taken no real hit publicly for the defeat. He is currently scheduled to return to the ring on November 10.