Michael Marley
4/17/2007
Bob Arum used this web site to extend an olive branch to Golden Boy Promotions last week. Top Rank's bossman cited the mounting legal bills his company and Oscar De La Hoya's company keep getting from their respective high-priced law firms as they squabble over the promotional rights to Filpino ring idol Manny Pacquaio.
On Tuesday, in New York, it was TR President Todd DuBoef's turn to suggest that the warring parties sit down at the table of boxing brotherhood and work things out so that Pacman and the crew of Pacman likely opponents that GBP handles can grow and prosper with big bouts.
So, Toddster, has GBP CEO Richard Scahefer been buzz, buzz, buzzing your mobile phone?
"Not really," Duboef said, smiling. "But I hope we can things aside and make some of the great matches. Maybe they'll do what we do and look at those big legal bills that keep coming in. But we've had no call from them."
Duboef said TR is not urgently trying to make another match for Manny.
"Manny's priority now, and we understand, is his political campaign. The Congressional election is May 14," Duboef said. "Then we figure Manny will rest and sort things out two more weeks. That brings us to June 8-9, with the Boxing Writers Dinner and the Cotto-Judah fight here in New York.
"Manny will come in to New York and then we can sit down and plan the next fight."
Why do I think, all of a sudden, guys named Marquez, Guzman and maybe Valero and Barrera will be ordering Boxing Writers Dinner tickets? Buy a fight scribe dinner ducat and maybe you hit the Pacquaio Lottery.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
