BOB ARUM: THE MEDIA IN THE PHILIPPINES IS ‘MAKING UP CRAP’

Manny Pacquiao and Top Rank have had a long and most fruitful marriage and now word comes from the Philippines indicating that marriage is somewhat on the rocks.

A story by Winchell Campos on Philboxing.com states that the contract between “Pacman,” the fighting Senator who was shocked by Aussie Jeff Horn Saturday, in a unanimous decision loss, which resulted in cries of robbery from many watchers who thought Pacman was the busier and more effective fighter in the WBO welterweight title scrum in Brisbane, has lapsed.

Campos wrote that Pacquiao, age 38, is irked at promoter Bob Arum, and that the division of the revenue generated from the fight with Horn, which screened on ESPN, was not to Manny’s liking.

“It’s preporsterous,” responded Arum, the Brooklyn-born Las Vegas-based dealmaker, who was buoyant over the first Top Rank production on ESPN, which certainly offered no shortage of provocative action during its main event, and from the analysts tasked with colorizing the promotion, Teddy Atlas and Stephen A. Smith.

Arum said Campos is someone who “Manny feels sorry for” and isn’t within the tight inner circle of people who could actually relay how the fighter is feeling. “He’s been writing a Pacquiao biography for 15 years,” Arum said. “Manny feels sorry for him.”

So, the Top Rank-Pacquiao contract has NOT run out?

“The contract runs well into 2018,” said Arum, contrary to the Campos story, which stated “Pacquiao’s contract with Arum expired during the Horn fight.”

“Manny and I have a very, very good relationship,” Arum continued to RingTV.com. He allowed that perhaps he was not warm and fuzzy to Campos when they crossed paths but to imply or state that he was acting “cold” to Pacman in Australia is simply wrong. A story by Josef Ramos in the Manila Times two days ago contained a declaration from “Aquiles Zonio,” described as “Pacquiao’s media chief,” that Arum gave Manny the “cold treatment” and is “searching for a new cash cow.”

“Maybe I was cold to Campos but the idea that I was cold to Manny, c’mon,” Arum said. “The people making these statements are rank outsiders. That Zonio, that guy I never even heard of! Media manager, what the f**k is that?!”

In the dressing room following the unanimous decision loss to crude and gritty Horn, Arum told Pacquiao he didn’t want to talk about the future, be that a rematch with Horn or what have you. “I said, take two weeks, time to think; talk it over with Jinkee. Then I will fly over to Manila, I told him, and sit with him and talk about it.”

The distribution of monies from the Horn fight as described by Campos is “totally incorrect,” said Arum.

The dealmaker told us that, in fact, there was talk of a Pacman fight in the Middle East, which Arum felt was not on solid ground. Pacman wanted to see if it panned out and it didn’t, said Arum. “They didn’t come up with the money,” he said of the Middle East crew. So, Arum secured this July date, and hashed out a split which factored in the Aussie promotional outfit. “This 20, 30 percent split stuff, it’s total craziness,” said Arum. “The Australia guy had to get paid…then we had the U.S. money and international percentage. Manny gets a big percentage and he gets all the Philippines money.” There was no guarantee – “a reported $10 million guarantee,” the Philboxing piece had it – according to Arum. “They are making up crap,” he thundered.

To reiterate, according to Arum, the Top Rank-Pacquiao marriage is still solid, not dissolving, and the chatter testifying that it is fraying is a load of hooey.