THE BOBFATHER: WAS HE LYING OR TELLING THE TRUTH TODAY?
GL: Before we get into any questions about the Cotto-Gomez event you announced in NYC, can you give us some thoughts on Kelly Pavlik's repeat victory over Jermain Taylor? "I thought Kelly fought a very, very good fight against a much better Jermain Taylor. He showed up better than he did the first time, I thought it was a very entertaining, and a very exciting fight. I thought Kelly fairly won the fight.
GL: Obviously we all know your plans to match Duddy with Kelly, the other night Duddy got cut up pretty badly. How does that change your plans with Pavlik at all if any?
Bob Arum: You're absolutely right, Duddy sustained some very serious cuts. Obviously the chances of him being available for a June 7th fight with Pavlik are not great, and I would not take that chance. We've talked to the Duddy people, and if Kelly keeps winning we can do a Duddy fight at the end of the year. Meanwhile, we're out looking for another opponent.
GL: Either way, if Duddy were available, based on how he looked against limited opposition, do you feel that him challenging for the middleweight title is a viable option at this point?
BA: That's a hypothetical question, because obviously he couldn't fight with the cuts, and obviously I would want to see him fight somebody else after he recovers from his cuts, so he can get a new perspective of things before a Pavlik fight, because it may have been that he was just overlooking the guy, I don't know. I wont kid you, no question he looked dreadful in that fight.
GL: Winky Wright expressed great interest to me earlier today in fighting Kelly Pavlik, and he said he would be ready to fight Pavlik in June, all they have to do is make the fight. He feels that a fight with him is the biggest fight that can be made at 160, and he doesn't see any reason why it shouldn't happen.
BA: Winky Wright should have made that statement a year ago when we tried to get him to give Kelly Pavlik a fight, which he wouldn't take. So, Mr. Winky's got to wait in line.
GL: You don't think that a fight with Wright and Pavlik is the most significant fight to make right now?
BA: No. People want to see action fights, Winky Wright is a marvelous boxer, but he doesn't give you action fights. I want action fights.
GL: I don't think you'll find anyone who thinks Winky Wright goes less rounds than Duddy against Pavlik.
BA: I think Winky Wright would be very hard to knock out, but that doesn't mean it's an exciting entertaining fight like the Taylor fight was.
GL: Winky's fight with Jermain wasn't too boring.
BA: I didn't see that fight.
GL: We've got to get you a tape, Bobfather. You were in New York today to announce the welterweight title twinbill, tell us about it. How was the press conference, how was the vibe, the turnout, what are you expecting on April 12th?
BA: It was a tremendous press conference, everyone was excited. I think it's the first time I've met Gomez. Alfonzo Gomez is a very likeable young man, and he's very determined. I think it's going to be an interesting fight, he's going to go at Miguel. That being said, I'm a huge Miguel fan. Being his promoter, I don't see any welterweight beating him. It's going to be an entertaining fight.
GL: Can you tell us why you feel that Alfonzo Gomez deserves a shot at Miguel Cotto?
BA: Alfonzo Gomez is a very good welterweight, and happens to be very popular because of participating in The Contender, and he beat Alturo Gatti.
GL: On the co-feature you've got Cintron and Margarito in a rematch of their first encounter when Margarito stopped Cintron. Now Cintron is the champion, Margarito's the challenger, what do you expect from Margarito, the same result?
BA: Yes, I would think, again Margarito's my fighter so I would expect him to win, but Cintron is going to be a lot more dangerous going in this time, vis a vis Margarito because of he's a whole new fighter because Emannuel Stewert has put in lots of time with him.
GL: If Cotto and Margarito are both victorious on April 12th, will they fight each other next? Or will Joshua Clottey fight the winner, and Cotto go in a different direction?
BA: No, Cotto would fight the winner of Cintron-Margarito, if he beats Gomez.
GL: So, the gameplan is if you're guys win, they are going to fight each other, that's where it's going to go?
BA: Exactly. If my guys win, my guys will fight each other.
GL: How come Joshua Clottey's mandatory doesn't mean as much to you now as it did when I asked you about unifying the titles with Cintron and Cotto?
BA: Joshua would fight for the vacant title, because the winner of Cintron-Margarito in order to fight Cotto would have to vacate the IBF title. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair to Clottey.
GL: If your guys both win, and they both fight each other it wouldn't be for a unification. It would only be for Cotto's belt, and Clottey would fight for the vacant title.
BA: That's right, one sanctioning fee.
GL: You've also got a pretty big event coming up in Vegas, with Pacquaio against Marquez. Tell us about that.
BA: The buzz on that fight is enormous, the thing is heading for a sell-out. There's a frenzy in buying tickets, particularly among Filipinos and Mexicans. It's like a frenzy buying tickets to the fight. We're very excited and it should be a very, very good fight. I'm in New York now, we're going to Vegas tonight and then we'll be with Pacquiao in San Francisco where will be doing some promoting in the Bay area."
GL: David Diaz will be in action on March 15, tell us about that?
BA: "We're expecting a good win from David. If he wins and Pacquiao wins we're looking to do a huge event on June 21 on a PPV show from Macau and Pacquiao will fight for the lightweight title."
GL: How confident are you heading into this fight with Marquez, who clearly gave Pacquiao a tougher fight than any of the other elite Mexicans?
BA: "I like Manny's chances, but as you said he's in a very tough fight with Marquez. I'm hopeful about the result. Do I say Manny is going to win with any certainty? Of course not and that's what makes this an interesting fight, but I'm hopeful that he does win."
GL: Mayweather-Cotto, will it ever happen?
BA: "It certainly would happen if we had our druthers. Cotto wants the fight and I want the fight, Mr. Mayweather I doubt wants the fight."
GL: Although Mayweather would probably tell you you're in no position to make him any offers since he's Mayweather and your guy is the B side. In the past, you made it clear that you were willing to offer Mayweather $8M to fight Margarito, how much money is Top Rank willing to guarantee Mayweather for the Cotto fight?
BA: "First Mayweather has to indicate to us that he's interested...
GL: (cutting in) He never indicated that he was interested in Margarito and that didn't stop you making any offers?
BA: "I understand, but I've been through that once already with Mr. Mayweather and he will not fight anybody who has a remote chance of beating him. Until Mayweather says that he'll fight Cotto, I'm not going to do anything."
GL: Closing thoughts?
BA: "I think it's going to be a big year for boxing. It's already started out well. Certainly the Pavlik-Taylor fight was really good. The piece of shit we saw at the Garden notwithstanding, the people who give these big purses out, shouldn't give them out unless they know they're going to entertain the fans. And holding your big God damned left hand out and not taking any chances is not the way to entertain fans. You may win that way, but it doesn't prove anything."
Source:boxingtalk.com
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