Top Rank boss Bob Arum seems uninterested in arranging a second bout between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, sensing that the second showdown between the two top welterweight contenders may not create enough buzz among boxing fans.
Arum, who has been in the fight-making business for decades, said he can easily set up a showdown between Bradley and Brandon Rios if the California native manages to beat Pacquiao in their upcoming welterweight bout in November.
However, the Harvard graduate Arum did not guarantee a second Pacquiao-Bradley showdown if the former pound-for-pound king defeats his latest opponent.
"Rios would fight King Kong, and so would Bradley. So if Rios beats Pacquiao - that's a logical fight to make. If Pacquiao beats Rios - I don't know whether or not that fight [between Pacquiao and Bradley] could be made. I just don't know," Arum told Boxing Scene.
The subpar results of the pay-per-view buys & gate receipts and even more the controversy surrounding the first fight between Pacquiao and Bradley might be the stumbling blocks keeping the second fight between two great champions from happening.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao expressed his interest in mixing it up again with Bradley for the second time , though he stressed that he needs first to focus on his looming showdown with Rios.
Pacquiao is coming off back-to-back setbacks against Marquez (6th round TKO loss) and Bradley (12-round split decision) last year and direly needs a win to revitalize his boxing career. However, many boxing fans and analysts believe the Filipino fighter did enough to score an overwhelming win over Bradley in June 2012, but it turned out the other way around as two of the fight's three judges - including CJ Ross - saw Bradley as the victor in the match.
Mike Koncz, Pacman's long-time adviser, is apparently not a fan of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, based on the statement he released earlier this week.
"We are not interested in fighting either of them as they declined our offers prior to (us) agreeing to fight Rios," Koncz was quoted as saying, according to ABS-CBN News.
Bradley is coming off a split-decision win over Marquez to retain his WBO Welterweight crown last Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pacquiao, eight-time division world champion, will make his return to the ring roughly five weeks from now as he faces Rios in a 12-round bout for the WBO International Welterweight crown at Venetian Macao in Macau, China on Nov. 23.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
