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Voracious Pacquiao hungry for shot at De La Hoya
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
"Give me Oscar!" Manny Pacquiao has his sights firmly set on Oscar De La Hoya.
De La Hoya-Pacquiao more reality than fantasy
Immediately after new pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao finished wiping the floor with David Diaz to win a lightweight title June 28, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum began making plans for Pacquiao's next fight.
Publicly, Arum said Pacquiao would return Nov. 8 in Las Vegas to fight junior lightweight titlist Edwin Valero, who would move up in weight. But Valero, medically suspended in the United States for an old non-boxing related head injury until being licensed in Texas a few months ago, might still have problems securing a license in Nevada. So Arum had a backup plan: Humberto Soto, another top junior lightweight who would move up for the shot.
Unknown to Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer and an integral part of the team that selects his opponents, Arum has been plotting something bigger behind the scenes -- for Pacquiao to move up to 147 pounds for a mega-money fight against Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in what the Golden Boy says will be his final fight.
The notion of that fight was first suggested several months ago by HBO broadcaster Larry Merchant. Although it was initially blasted as a fantasy mismatch by some, it has slowly gained steam.
Now, the prospect of the fight is real. It's the fight Roach wants for Pacquiao, and he just might get it.
Before Arum revealed his plan to ESPN.com, Roach, speaking this week from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., said it's the fight Arum should be negotiating instead of the lesser bouts with Valero or Soto.
"Oscar is looking for a fight. I think Pacquiao should fight Oscar next," said Roach, who knows De La Hoya well after training him for his May 2007 split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. "Oscar says he has one more fight left in him. If we can get Oscar to come down to 147 pounds, I told Pacquiao that maybe we weigh in around 140 and by fight time we'll be up to 145. I would never take a fight I wasn't confident my guy could win. I'm very confident he could win. Oscar is older and he can't pull the trigger anymore. If Steve Forbes can land shots on Oscar like he did [in their 150-pound fight May 3], Manny will hit him with ease. Manny will annihilate him, I feel.
"What does Soto bring to the table other than that he beat Manny's brother, Bobby? How many buys does that fight do? Less than David Diaz, I feel. He's a good fighter, but not a popular one. And Valero is unknown in the U.S. I think we should at least try to negotiate the deal, if Oscar is interested. He's shown interest before, and Pacquiao told me many times he would love to fight Oscar. The guy is going to fight one more time in his life and we don't want to miss the boat. Obviously, I want Manny to fight Ricky Hatton, but that fight isn't available right now because he's fighting in November, so let's fight Oscar. Manny could fight Oscar and then Hatton next year and retire as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
"Oscar does have that great left hook, but it's one shot. Oscar gets tired. Manny gets stronger and stronger. It's a no-brainer to make this fight. I think we can knock Oscar out. I've been dreaming about him jumping on Oscar in the first round. I know Oscar won't last. If Manny fights at a Pacquiao pace, Oscar won't last."
Little did Roach know that Arum was way ahead of him.
"Freddie is the trainer and nobody selects an opponent without running it by Freddie," Arum said. "But for Freddie to come out with these statements is counterproductive because behind the scenes there have been talks with [Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard] Schaefer and myself about an Oscar-Pacquiao fight. So I didn't need this kind of grandstanding. The talks are serious. Richard doesn't f--- around. He's not jerking my chain."
Arum is also talking to Schaefer about De La Hoya facing one of his other stars, welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto, who would have to defeat Antonio Margarito next Saturday night.
"There is a possibility that Oscar will fight Cotto and there's a possibility he'll fight Pacquiao Dec. 6," Arum said. "Obviously, because it's Oscar, and it's ostensibly his last fight, he will get to pick who he wants to fight. My job is to make the best possible deal for whichever of my fighters he picks. Whoever De La Hoya wants to fight, I'll make a deal for."
Arum said that if a Pacquiao bout happens, Schaefer told him De La Hoya would come all the way down to 147 pounds. It would take place at Las Vegas' MGM Grand, which Schaefer has already promised De La Hoya's final fight to.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 19, 2008 12:11 PM
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>
> Either way, I'm glad this fight is not going down, I
> felt it was a pointless fight.
>
> --
> "How sturdy is Margarito's chin? Chuck Norris would
> break his hand if he hit Margarito on the whiskers.
i think it still goes down. the current scenario makes no sense for anybody involved.
--
Cruiserweights - what the heavyweight division would be if the heavyweight division didn't really really really suck.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 19, 2008 11:18 AM
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> This fight wouldn't sell at all. Jr. has been exposed
> by the club fighter Matt Vanda.
Given that this will be promoted as Oscar's last fight it would sell 800K PPVs if all Oscar did was shadow box. If there is an actual opponent...I say it sell 1 million PPVs against a scrub like Chavez Jr.
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Edited by ffontan at 08/19/2008 8:19 AM PDT
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 19, 2008 11:06 AM
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> > Oscar DeLaHoya is a greedy, phony man and if he
> won't
> > give another of the stature of Manny Pacquiao
> at
> > least 40% of the fight revenue when he already
> has
> > well over $100 million banked, then I hope he
> goes
> > off and retires right now never to be seen in
> the
> > ring again. Good riddance.
>
> Manny was going to make his biggest payday by like
> 10x REGARDLESS ... how did he get bogged down over
> 30% split ... which was what Mayweather got.
>
> --
> Cruiserweights - what the heavyweight division would
> be if the heavyweight division didn't really really
> really suck.
Which was Oscar's point, and a good one I think. Manny is simply NOT the type of name Floyd is or was when he fought Oscar.
Either way, I'm glad this fight is not going down, I felt it was a pointless fight.
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"How sturdy is Margarito's chin? Chuck Norris would break his hand if he hit Margarito on the whiskers.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 19, 2008 11:04 AM
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> This opens the door widely for the fight I've been
> expecting all along. DeLaHoya-Chavez Jr. in Azteca
> Stadium, Mexico City, D.F. for DeLaHoya to go out
> with a huge payday and a final win on his record.
This fight wouldn't sell at all. Jr. has been exposed by the club fighter Matt Vanda.
--
"How sturdy is Margarito's chin? Chuck Norris would break his hand if he hit Margarito on the whiskers.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 19, 2008 12:37 AM
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If this is going to be Oscar's last fight, then he ought to get a larger percentage of the purse against Pacquiao.
Perhaps an 80-20 split should be more than enough and acceptable for the Filipino fighter... 
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 18, 2008 10:07 PM
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Manny Pacquiao would give Oscar De La Hoya a chance to end his career with a huge event.
Chris Cozzone/Getty Images
BURBANK, Calif. -- Intent on making his last fight a "worldwide event," Oscar De La Hoya said that negotiations for a possible megafight with Manny Pacquiao, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, are not dead and that he is hopeful to make an official announcement on his final opponent either by the end of the week or early next week.
"I want a big fight," said De La Hoya from his celebrity golf tournament Monday afternoon. "I want to go out with a big bang. I want to make it an event. I want to make it a worldwide event because I want to show the boxing world and I want to show everybody around the world that boxing is alive and well. I want them to say, 'Look at this big event December 6.'"
De La Hoya, who insists his next fight on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be his last, believes there are only a couple fighters left to be paired with that will enable him to have the type of event he enjoyed when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2007. That fight recorded 2.4 million pay-per-view buys while earning him a record $58 million purse.
With Mayweather Jr. announcing his retirement in June, Pacquiao, 29, would appear to be the only fighter who would transform De La Hoya's last fight into the megafight he wants. The other names mentioned after talks between De La Hoya and Pacquiao broke off temporarily last week not only pale in comparison but also seem unlikely when reading in between the lines of what De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, chief executive of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, said on Monday.
There had been talk that De La Hoya, 35, would fight the winner of the Sept. 13 Sergio Mora-Vernon Forrest WBC super-welterweight title fight, which is the undercard of the Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez fight at the MGM Grand. While Mora -- who like De La Hoya is a Mexican American from East Los Angeles -- has a following from winning the first season of "The Contender" reality series, and Forrest was once De La Hoya's teammate during the 1992 Olympics, neither would elicit the "megafight" that De La Hoya is looking for. Also, De La Hoya and Schaefer stated numerous times Monday that they want to have an opponent signed and announced by next week at the latest, which would likely rule out either Mora or Forrest. De La Hoya did caution that he often fought when he had his next opponent lined up.
"It would be very difficult," De La Hoya said when asked about the possibility of waiting until after Sept. 13 to announce an opponent for his Dec. 6 fight. "I want something done by next week."
Schaefer disregarded the notion of a possible fight with Antonio Margarito, confirming what Bob Arum, Margarito's promoter, had said earlier. "I say wait in line because there's 20 other guys that want to fight me," De La Hoya said when asked about the possibility of fighting Margarito, which tells you where the welterweight from Tijuana is on his list.
While Ricky Hatton's name was brought up, Hatton is already fighting Paulie Malignaggi at the MGM Grand on November 22 for Malignaggi's IBF Light Welterweight title, which would certainly rule him out for De La Hoya's planned Dec. 6 event.
That would leave Pacquiao as the only logical opponent for De La Hoya if he truly wants his last fight to be a megafight. The only question now is, what percentage of the pie will Pacquiao be satisfied with taking? Talks broke down between Schaefer and Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, last week when Arum would not agree to a 70-30 revenue split, holding out for something closer to 60-40.
Pacquiao, however, may be softening up on his stance after his trainer and former De La Hoya trainer Freddie Roach advised him to take the 70-30 cut, which is similar to the deal Mayweather Jr. got when he fought De La Hoya last year, netting him about $22 million. While Pacquiao's purse might not match that, it could exceed $15 million, which would be about four times more than he's ever made for a single fight.
"If you have a chance to make $2 million and a chance to make $10 million, I mean, you just look at that," said Schaefer, who plans on speaking with Arum again this week. "What do you want to do? I think he's starting to realize that. I think he sort of realizes that a certain percent of the big pie is better than a 100 percent of the small pie. I think he and his advisers are starting to recognize that."
The percentage of the payout is the only obstacle left in making the fight a reality. Both sides have already made certain concessions as De La Hoya, a 154-pound junior middleweight, and Pacquiao, a 135-pound lightweight, agreed to fight at 147 pounds, which would be the first time De La Hoya has fought at that weight since March 2001. They also agreed to wear 8-ounce gloves instead of the 10-ounce gloves that De La Hoya prefers. Schaefer said that De La Hoya has even given Pacquiao a better deal than he initially offered when he proposed a 70-30 split of the revenue up to a certain number of pay-per-views before it went to an 80-20 split. He is now willing to give a 70-30 split on all pay-per-view buys, even though he believes most tuning into the fight will be doing so to see his last fight.
"I think Oscar wants to go against a big name and wants to make a big event," said Schaefer, who spoke with De La Hoya about the possibility of making the fight in between holes at the Lakeside Golf Club on Monday. "The kind of event that again will transcend boxing, which generates interest not just within the boxing community but outside as well. And certainly Pacquiao is one of those names."
Just now!!
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 14, 2008 4:47 PM
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> NEWS FLASH
> Roach wants Pacman vs Oscar!
> By Nick Giongco
> Trainer Freddie Roach said on Thursday (Wednesday in
> the US) that he will try to convince Manny Pacquiao
> to reconsider his decision to decline a fight with
> Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas. "Fighting
> Humberto Soto is ridiculous," Roach told The Manila
> Bulletin/Fightnews.com during a break in training at
> the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood. Roach said he
> had already set up everything as far as training for
> the De La Hoya fight. "We need to fight a perfect
> fight to win against De La Hoya," said Roach.
> Thursday, August 14 2008
THIS IS GOOD NEWS!!
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 14, 2008 8:49 AM
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NEWS FLASH
Roach wants Pacman vs Oscar!
By Nick Giongco
Trainer Freddie Roach said on Thursday (Wednesday in the US) that he will try to convince Manny Pacquiao to reconsider his decision to decline a fight with Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas. "Fighting Humberto Soto is ridiculous," Roach told The Manila Bulletin/Fightnews.com during a break in training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood. Roach said he had already set up everything as far as training for the De La Hoya fight. "We need to fight a perfect fight to win against De La Hoya," said Roach.
Thursday, August 14 2008
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 14, 2008 8:41 AM
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> Oscar DeLaHoya is a greedy, phony man and if he won't
> give another of the stature of Manny Pacquiao at
> least 40% of the fight revenue when he already has
> well over $100 million banked, then I hope he goes
> off and retires right now never to be seen in the
> ring again. Good riddance.
Manny was going to make his biggest payday by like 10x REGARDLESS ... how did he get bogged down over 30% split ... which was what Mayweather got.
--
Cruiserweights - what the heavyweight division would be if the heavyweight division didn't really really really suck.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 14, 2008 8:25 AM
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> Oscar DeLaHoya is a greedy, phony man and if he won't
> give another of the stature of Manny Pacquiao at
> least 40% of the fight revenue when he already has
> well over $100 million banked, then I hope he goes
> off and retires right now never to be seen in the
> ring again. Good riddance.
de la hoya is a greedy bastard but im so happy this fight isnt happening now manny we might be able to see him in with some real tough lightwieghts and make for some very good fights.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 14, 2008 8:17 AM
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Oscar DeLaHoya is a greedy, phony man and if he won't give another of the stature of Manny Pacquiao at least 40% of the fight revenue when he already has well over $100 million banked, then I hope he goes off and retires right now never to be seen in the ring again. Good riddance.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 14, 2008 7:22 AM
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IF indeed this broke down over money, it's kind of amazing. Now the key date for Oscar is September 13. If Mora beats Forrest again (on the undercard of Casa-Marquez) then that might become the fight. Oscar in his best weight class against the current top dog in the division, and a Los Angeles matchup as well. He always made the most sense of the opponents bandied about imo.
--
Cruiserweights - what the heavyweight division would be if the heavyweight division didn't really really really suck.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 13, 2008 10:37 PM
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> De La Hoya-Pacquiao talks bog down over revenue
> split
>
> By Dan Rafael
> ESPN.com
>
> As Howie Mandel asks contestants each week on his hit
> game show: Deal or no deal?
>
> No deal, it appears.
>
> A week after face-to-face negotiations began for a
> Dec. 6 megafight between Oscar De La Hoya, boxing's
> most popular star, and Manny Pacquiao, the No. 1
> pound-for-pound fighter in the world, talks have
> broken down, leaving the fight in doubt.
>
> Talks reached a stalemate Wednesday when neither De
> La Hoya nor Pacquiao would budge from the percentage
> split each wanted.
>
> According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, Pacquiao's
> promoter, De La Hoya was seeking a 70-30 revenue
> split in his favor while Pacquiao wanted 40 percent
> of an HBO PPV fight that would likely generate more
> than $100 million.
>
> "Bob told me today that Manny has declined to the
> accept the terms," Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard
> Schaefer told ESPN.com. "I had a nice conversation
> with Bob. We'll move on and I guess Manny will move
> on."
>
> The other issues in the way of De La Hoya-Pacquiao
> had been resolved. The sides agreed to a 147-pound
> maximum weight limit, meaning De La Hoya would have
> to make the welterweight limit for the first time
> since defeating Arturo Gatti in 2001. The lightest De
> La Hoya, who has won titles in six divisions, had
> been since was for his May decision win against Steve
> Forbes when he weighed 150 pounds.
>
> Pacquiao, who holds a 135-pound lightweight title
> after starting his career as a 106-pounder, would
> have moved up two weight classes to fight De La
> Hoya.
>
> Also resolved was the issue of the gloves for the
> fight that would have taken place at the MGM Grand in
> Las Vegas, where De La Hoya figures to face a
> different opponent at the end of the year unless he
> or Pacquiao has a change of heart.
>
> Arum said the sides had also agreed to wear 8-ounce
> gloves of the brand of their choice instead of
> 10-ounce gloves.
>
> Schaefer said those issues were resolved because De
> La Hoya had given in. De La Hoya had wanted the
> weight limit to be 150 pounds and to fight in
> 10-ounce gloves.
>
> Also, Schaefer said that De La Hoya had already moved
> on his financial demands.
>
> Initially, De La Hoya proposed a 70-30 split of the
> revenue up to an undisclosed number of pay-per-view
> buys. After the fight reached that number, De La Hoya
> wanted an 80-20 split on the remainder of the buys.
> Eventually, he scrapped the 80-20 part of the deal
> and agreed to 70-30 for all buys.
>
> "On the three sticking points, Oscar gave in on 2½ of
> them you could say," Schaefer told ESPN.com.
>
> But the lack of movement on the overall split is what
> really damaged the deal.
>
> "Richard and I had a good meeting and we resolved the
> other issues," Arum said. "Oscar wanted 70-30 and
> Richard and I figured that there would be room for
> movement. Oscar was supposed to come in [to Los
> Angeles] this week to meet with Richard in person,
> but he didn't make it and had to do it on the
> telephone. Oscar was adamant about it being 70-30 or
> no deal. Richard told me that and that I transmitted
> it to Pacquiao and his people in the Philippines.
> They told me that there was no deal and to look to
> make another fight."
>
> Said Schaefer: "Pacquiao has an adviser and lawyer,
> [Franklin "Jeng" Gacal] who basically is caught up in
> percentages. But if you go buy a car or a house or
> food do you pay in percentages or in money? The
> answer is you pay in currency not in percentages. I
> hope this has properly been explained to Manny."
>
> Arum said his backup plan is for Pacquiao to defend
> his lightweight belt against Humberto Soto, a top
> junior lightweight who would move up for the
> opportunity. However, Arum does not have a site or
> venue in which to stage the fight in the jam-packed
> fall.
>
> As for De La Hoya, Schaefer said he still intends to
> fight Dec. 6. De La Hoya has repeatedly said it will
> be the last fight of his storied career.
>
> Schaefer would not say who the possible opponents are
> but said he had a list of three fighters "and I am
> already negotiating with one of them."
>
> Arum was clearly disappointed with the turn the talks
> took.
>
> "This is not Richard or me f------ around," he said.
> "Richard and I had a very frank discussion. I always
> felt there would be a deal. When Richard came back
> and said that Oscar wasn't moving, I was surprised.
> Unless there is movement, the deal is off."
>
> Schaefer's words from a week ago when talks began
> were prophetic when he said, "I think what it will
> take is for Manny to give and for Oscar to give to
> get a deal done."
>
> Had Pacquiao, who has won titles in five divisions,
> accepted the 30-percent split, he could have earned
> his biggest payday, upwards of $10 million to $15
> million. Arum said that is not the way Pacquiao
> thinks.
>
> "The question in a fighter's mind is not how much
> they're going to make, but what is a fair split," he
> said. "Forget the ultimate number. They have to
> perceive what they are getting is fair. The deal we
> were working on was a lot of money for both guys. The
> question is what is a fair split? I thought somewhere
> between 30 and 40 percent for Manny was fair."
>
> The most Pacquiao, 29, has ever made for a fight is
> about $5 million, Arum said.
>
> "It is a bit mind-boggling for me that he would have
> to fight three or four times to make what he could
> make to fight Oscar," Schaefer said. "I hope Manny
> has been given all the information by his people."
>
> Arum said he wished that De La Hoya had said it was
> 70-30 or nothing from the start.
>
> "You don't start a negotiations offering 30 percent
> and adamantly take the position that you're not going
> to move. He should have said that in the beginning.
> It's not Richard, it's Oscar. He says Manny shouldn't
> get more than Floyd [Mayweather]. Floyd got 30
> percent. Manny says he's bigger than Floyd was at the
> time."
>
> When De La Hoya, 35, lost to Mayweather in May 2007,
> Mayweather received 30 percent of the promotion for
> what turned out to be the biggest grossing fight in
> history.
>
> Arum left the door open to still making the fight.
>
> "If they called us and proposed 35 percent I would go
> and I would be able to get the fight done," Arum
> said. "I hope that Oscar, with all his money and
> everything, is going to be sensible here."
If Pacman made only $5 million the most and its about to triple, what is he thinking? Their right... he is cought up in the numbers, its still alot of money and Bob thinks its a good deal.
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Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 13, 2008 10:07 PM
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De La Hoya-Pacquiao talks bog down over revenue split
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
As Howie Mandel asks contestants each week on his hit game show: Deal or no deal?
No deal, it appears.
A week after face-to-face negotiations began for a Dec. 6 megafight between Oscar De La Hoya, boxing's most popular star, and Manny Pacquiao, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, talks have broken down, leaving the fight in doubt.
Talks reached a stalemate Wednesday when neither De La Hoya nor Pacquiao would budge from the percentage split each wanted.
According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, De La Hoya was seeking a 70-30 revenue split in his favor while Pacquiao wanted 40 percent of an HBO PPV fight that would likely generate more than $100 million.
"Bob told me today that Manny has declined to the accept the terms," Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. "I had a nice conversation with Bob. We'll move on and I guess Manny will move on."
The other issues in the way of De La Hoya-Pacquiao had been resolved. The sides agreed to a 147-pound maximum weight limit, meaning De La Hoya would have to make the welterweight limit for the first time since defeating Arturo Gatti in 2001. The lightest De La Hoya, who has won titles in six divisions, had been since was for his May decision win against Steve Forbes when he weighed 150 pounds.
Pacquiao, who holds a 135-pound lightweight title after starting his career as a 106-pounder, would have moved up two weight classes to fight De La Hoya.
Also resolved was the issue of the gloves for the fight that would have taken place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where De La Hoya figures to face a different opponent at the end of the year unless he or Pacquiao has a change of heart.
Arum said the sides had also agreed to wear 8-ounce gloves of the brand of their choice instead of 10-ounce gloves.
Schaefer said those issues were resolved because De La Hoya had given in. De La Hoya had wanted the weight limit to be 150 pounds and to fight in 10-ounce gloves.
Also, Schaefer said that De La Hoya had already moved on his financial demands.
Initially, De La Hoya proposed a 70-30 split of the revenue up to an undisclosed number of pay-per-view buys. After the fight reached that number, De La Hoya wanted an 80-20 split on the remainder of the buys. Eventually, he scrapped the 80-20 part of the deal and agreed to 70-30 for all buys.
"On the three sticking points, Oscar gave in on 2½ of them you could say," Schaefer told ESPN.com.
But the lack of movement on the overall split is what really damaged the deal.
"Richard and I had a good meeting and we resolved the other issues," Arum said. "Oscar wanted 70-30 and Richard and I figured that there would be room for movement. Oscar was supposed to come in [to Los Angeles] this week to meet with Richard in person, but he didn't make it and had to do it on the telephone. Oscar was adamant about it being 70-30 or no deal. Richard told me that and that I transmitted it to Pacquiao and his people in the Philippines. They told me that there was no deal and to look to make another fight."
Said Schaefer: "Pacquiao has an adviser and lawyer, [Franklin "Jeng" Gacal] who basically is caught up in percentages. But if you go buy a car or a house or food do you pay in percentages or in money? The answer is you pay in currency not in percentages. I hope this has properly been explained to Manny."
Arum said his backup plan is for Pacquiao to defend his lightweight belt against Humberto Soto, a top junior lightweight who would move up for the opportunity. However, Arum does not have a site or venue in which to stage the fight in the jam-packed fall.
As for De La Hoya, Schaefer said he still intends to fight Dec. 6. De La Hoya has repeatedly said it will be the last fight of his storied career.
Schaefer would not say who the possible opponents are but said he had a list of three fighters "and I am already negotiating with one of them."
Arum was clearly disappointed with the turn the talks took.
"This is not Richard or me f------ around," he said. "Richard and I had a very frank discussion. I always felt there would be a deal. When Richard came back and said that Oscar wasn't moving, I was surprised. Unless there is movement, the deal is off."
Schaefer's words from a week ago when talks began were prophetic when he said, "I think what it will take is for Manny to give and for Oscar to give to get a deal done."
Had Pacquiao, who has won titles in five divisions, accepted the 30-percent split, he could have earned his biggest payday, upwards of $10 million to $15 million. Arum said that is not the way Pacquiao thinks.
"The question in a fighter's mind is not how much they're going to make, but what is a fair split," he said. "Forget the ultimate number. They have to perceive what they are getting is fair. The deal we were working on was a lot of money for both guys. The question is what is a fair split? I thought somewhere between 30 and 40 percent for Manny was fair."
The most Pacquiao, 29, has ever made for a fight is about $5 million, Arum said.
"It is a bit mind-boggling for me that he would have to fight three or four times to make what he could make to fight Oscar," Schaefer said. "I hope Manny has been given all the information by his people."
Arum said he wished that De La Hoya had said it was 70-30 or nothing from the start.
"You don't start a negotiations offering 30 percent and adamantly take the position that you're not going to move. He should have said that in the beginning. It's not Richard, it's Oscar. He says Manny shouldn't get more than Floyd [Mayweather]. Floyd got 30 percent. Manny says he's bigger than Floyd was at the time."
When De La Hoya, 35, lost to Mayweather in May 2007, Mayweather received 30 percent of the promotion for what turned out to be the biggest grossing fight in history.
Arum left the door open to still making the fight.
"If they called us and proposed 35 percent I would go and I would be able to get the fight done," Arum said. "I hope that Oscar, with all his money and everything, is going to be sensible here."
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Posts:
1,251
Registered:
3/20/06
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(138 of 152)
Re: DeLaHoya-Pacquiao on December 6?
Aug 13, 2008 9:23 PM
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This opens the door widely for the fight I've been expecting all along. DeLaHoya-Chavez Jr. in Azteca Stadium, Mexico City, D.F. for DeLaHoya to go out with a huge payday and a final win on his record.
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