Top Rank promoter Bob Arum catches up with Marcos Villegas of FightHub to talk about tomorrow night's title unification between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol. Arum also gives some advice to Keith Thurman who says he'd like to fight Manny Pacquiao.
Arum on what made him feel like the time was right to match two undefeated titlists in Crawford and Postol in a PPV match:
"Well people want to see the best fights possible, with the best fighting the best. And sometimes it's impossible to match it. Here it was very possible. I promote both of these guys, and even though I didn't have the support of one of the networks we decided to do it ourselves on PPV. So I'm glad it's happening, it's a terrific fight, it has a chance to be fight of the year, and certainly maybe the most significant fight of the year.
"When I look at what's out there I put it up against any fight that anyone is even talking about, and I think it's important for boxing to have a fight like this. And the thing I like about it most is it matches two competing styles - the eastern European style of Viktor Postol against the African American style of Terence Crawford. And that's always, for me as somebody who is obviously in boxing, follows boxing, something extraordinarily interesting....that's something special that this fight has to offer."
On fans and media questioning this fight being on PPV and its price point:
"I think people who say 'well this is a terrific fight but it shouldn't be on PPV, it should be on premium cable, when that was impossible to do, are just getting what they deserve in boxing. They're gonna get guys like Canelo Alvarez fighting guys who don't belong in the same ring, and if they want to pay for that, let them pay for that.
"In other words, if people want to see competitive fights and they only way to get those competitive fights on the air is on PPV, then they should buy the PPV. And if they don't, they don't, and they get what they deserve. So boxing fans have only themselves to blame for the poor programming they've been getting."
On if this PPV is a huge risk on Top Rank's part after seeing poor number in Pacquiao-Bradley III:
"I'm not saying it's a huge risk. Do we have a chance to lose money? Yeah, we figure to lose money on this show. So what! That doesn't mean the fight shouldn't happen. All I'm saying is that it is self-defeating for all of the commentators and the bloggers about boxing to kvetch about the fact that this fight's on PPV when it was the only way we could do this fight, and if they don't want to watch it, so be it, they won't watch it. Then other promoters in the future are not going to take the risk."
On when Manny Pacquiao told him that he would like to fight again:
"Well we've been talking to Michael Koncz about different dates. First we had hoped for Oct. 15th but that was not possible because of his senate schedule and so Nov. 5 is the only available date."
On Broner and Garcia saying they rejected offers to face Manny Pacquiao:
"You've got to understand, my discussion with Al Haymon was about Broner. And Broner was asking for money that we couldn't reasonably spend. As far as Danny Garcia, he might say 'well they offered me money but I'm entitled to more money' and so forth - the point is no one even mentioned Danny Garcia, no one offered him anything. So the fact that he's saying what he's saying is for a different reason. Maybe he's trying to get Al Haymon to pay him more money on a fight Al is doing - I don't know. But let me assure you that nobody from Top Rank, including myself, has ever talked to Danny Garcia or his father about anything! You understand? About anything. And I resent the fact that he is using us to maybe increase his notoriety and get more money from Al Haymon for a fight against another of Al Haymon's fighters. But that's the only thing I can figure because where the hell did this come [from]?
On his thoughts about Keith Thurman saying he'd like to fight Manny Pacquiao:
"If Thurman said that to you, then he said it to you. He's never said it to us, we've never talked to Thurman...You gotta cut through the bullshit. People use [FightHub] and they say things that are totally not so. If Thurman was truly interested in the fight, if Thurman wanted to do the fight, he would call his manager Al Haymon who I have a good enough relationship with that Haymon will call me.
"Don't you understand how these people are using you?! I mean don't be naive! If Thurman wanted to do a fight with Pacquiao he knows: call Al Haymon, who he must talk to a number of times a week if not a month, and tell Al Haymon I want to do the fight, and Al would be on the phone and call me. Right? So don't give me the bullshit. I'm really sick and tired of you guys listening to bullshit from people which is not so! Tell him, Thurman, if you want to fight Manny Pacquiao, tell that to your manager Al Haymon and have Al Haymon call Bob Arum. Easy, right?!"