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Lem’s latest: Richard Schaefer on Manny Pacquiao’s ‘desperate actions’

Fighters Network
23
Jan

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer launched into the verbal banter between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, who has proposed a charity fight "for the love of boxing" against Mayweather after Mayweather called him "a desperate dog" chasing a megabout due to his tax problems.

"Desperate people take desperate actions," said Schaefer before referencing Mayweather's status as the highest-paid athlete in American sports for the past two years. "My good friend Floyd is not desperate, but Pacquiao and his promoter are. Maybe Manny needs a tax write off to solve his tax issues."

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum called Pacquiao's gesture "an incredible statement for the sport of boxing," and Pacquiao's advisor, Michael Koncz, said the Filipino icon is "dead serious" about fighting for free.

Mayweather is coming off September's majority decision over Canelo Alvarez for THE RING and WBC 154-pound championships, a bout that became the highest-grossing boxing event of all time with $150 million in revenue reported to eclipse the $136 million earned by Mayweather’s 2007 victory over Oscar De La Hoya.



Mayweather still is considering the opponent he will fight next on May 3 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas amid wide speculation that he will face England's Amir Khan.

In the meantime, Pacquiao is close to finalizing a deal with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum for an April 12 rematch with WBO 147-pound beltholder Timothy Bradley, to whom he lost by split-decision last June. After falling to Bradley, Pacquiao suffered a sixth-round knockout to Juan Manuel] Marquez last December.

Arum told RingTV.com in an earlier interview that the deal for Pacquiao to face Bradley could be announced as early as Friday. Arum also informed RingTV.com's Tim Smith that press conferences are slated for Feb. 4 in Los Angeles and Feb. 5 in New York.

Mayweather has stated that he will never do business with Arum, and Pacquiao is equally emphatic that he will never leave Arum for a bout with Mayweawther.

 

RONALD CRUZ-KERMIT CINTRON ADDED TO TOMASZ ADAMEK-VYACHESLAV GLAZKOV CARD

Pennsylvania rivals Ronald Cruz (20-2, 15 KOs) of Bethlehem and former titleholder Kermit Cintron (34-5-2, 28 KOs) of Reading will meet in a welterweight bout on the undercard of a main event featuring a clash of heavyweight contenders Tomasz Adamek (49-2, 29 knockouts) and Vyacheslav Glazkov (16-0-1, 11 KOs) in an NBC-televised bout on March 15 as part of NBC Sports Net's "Fight Night" series.

"Kermit Cintron is a name that many people know around the world and he's a guy that's had alot of good moments in his career. You have to respect what he's done for the sport of boxing," said Cruz.

"But this is my time. I'm looking forward to making a statement with Kermit and erasing some doubts people have about me.  I know he will try to come at his best and I hope he does because at the end of the day, I want no excuses."

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