Arum confident that Pac only has a 'ghost contract' w/ Golden Boy

Pacman a puzzle, Morales a delight

By Salven Lagumbay
Inquirer
Last updated 02:47am (Mla time) 10/21/2006

Published on page A25 of the October 21, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

NOW a living riddle to boxing promoters, Manny Pacquiao could mount a greater edge over Erik Morales if he proves similarly elusive inside the ring in Las Vegas on Nov. 18.

After acquiring a brand new Mercedes Benz SL 550—one that packs 383 horsepower in a 5.5-liter V8 engine in California for about $105,000 (P5.36 million)—Pacquiao has allowed Top Rank boss Bob Arum to brag that Oscar dela Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions has not wholly acquired the Pacman.

Arum on Thursday claimed that Pacquiao’s succeeding fights after the Nov. 18 Grand Finale encounter with Morales will still be under the Top Rank banner.

“At the end of the day, I am convinced that win or lose, Manny Pacquiao’s next fight and fights after that will be under the banner of Top Rank, that’s all I can say,” said Arum in an interview with Boxingtalk’s Greg Leon.

Arum refused to elaborate.

“I can’t say how, why, what and so forth, that’s all I can say,” added the Harvard University lawyer-turned-premier promoter of world boxing.

Earlier, Pacquiao had signed up a seven-fight deal with De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, which carried with it a $300,000 signing bonus and assurances of mega-fights against Marco Antonio Barrera and other big-name fighters.

Feeling triumphant over the latest twist in the promotional tug-of-war over Pacquiao, Arum also announced that Morales will be a true delight to his fans when he does his WBC-mandated 30-day weigh-in in Mexico City today.

Morales will take part at a news conference at the Melia Hotel, and then step on the scale to prove to the media and the world that he will be doubly mean for his fight with Pacquiao.

Meanwhile, trainer Freddie Roach has also announced that Pacquiao is now down to 135 lbs, and has been sparring three times a week at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, against Vicente Escobedo and Charlie Hanshaw.

“I expect him to knock Morales out in the late rounds again,” Roach told Fightfan.com. “He’ll break him down and knock him out.

“Morales had never been knocked out in his life and thought it was impossible. I think it will come easier this time.”



so pac isnt really signing yet with golden boy? dont you think arum is just in a case of wanderlust, he made this statement base on pacquiao buying a 'cheap' car by standards of a boxer who just got a $300,000 signing bonus... he thinks the understanding between pacquiao and golden boy is just mutual. it may be also true considering the fact that golden boy and pacquiao didnt worry at all if they had violated anything on the top rank contract because... they didnt signed anything at all ???