Arum tells Pacquiao, Roach: Shut up
abs-cbnnews.com | 07/20/2008 12:15 AM
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By ABAC CORDERO
Bob Arum has issued a gag order on Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao as the Top Rank big boss works on a possible fight between the Filipino champ and Oscar dela Hoya in December.
"I have asked Freddie to be quiet. And so has Manny," Arum told boxingconfidential.com a day after Roach came up with statements Arum said isn’t helping them lure Dela Hoya.
"All these public remarks about Oscar dela Hoya and about how Oscar can’t pull the trigger anymore are not helpful to our cause," said Arum, who’s been silently dealing with Golden Boy.
Arum, Roach and Pacquiao will sit down later this week in Las Vegas.
Roach was all over the boxing news when he talked about Arum’s plan to pit Pacquiao against Humberto Soto in November, when they could and should go for bigger fights like Dela Hoya.
Roach said they’re "missing the boat" if Pacquiao goes on to fight opponents like Edwin Valero or Soto, fights that the two-time Trainer of the Year said would be hard to sell on pay-per-view.
Roach said Pacquiao should instead face Dela Hoya by the end of the year, then British superstar Ricky Hatton next year, and probably retire as the "greatest boxer of all time."
Roach said he believes Pacquiao can knock out Dela Hoya whom he said is "older" and "can’t pull the trigger anymore." The fight, if held, can be staged at 147 lbs.
"I go on Filipino radio and all I do is praise Oscar. Freddie has got to be quiet because his remarks are just pissing Oscar off," Arum told Michael Marley from Las Vegas.
"Look, Freddie is the trainer and it’s not his place to be making these kind of public comments about Oscar, not now when we’re trying to negotiate a fight.
"We want Oscar to come to the table and then we can see if we can put together this Dec. 6 fight with him and Manny. It may be Oscar’s ‘Last Hurrah,’" Arum added.
Dela Hoya, who has only fought once since losing to Floyd Mayweather in June last year, is on the way out, and wants one big fight – and this could be against Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto.
In fact, boxrec.com records show that Dela Hoya is booked on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But there’s a big question mark on the opponent’s name.
"I am hoping he will want to fight either of my guys, Miguel Cotto (also of Top Rank) or Manny. If we can make Manny against Oscar, then Freddie can say whatever the f__k he wants," Arum said.
Then fill in the blanks: Dela Hoya vs Pacquiao.
