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Arum hoping to put Pacquiao on free TV for next fight April 22

Manny Pacquiao (left) decks Jessie Vargas in 2016. (Photo by Mikey Williams - Top Rank)
Fighters Network
03
Jan

Promoter Bob Arum, hoping to avoid the risks of pay-per-view, is eager to put Manny Pacquiao’s next fight on “free television” and referenced networks such as CBS, NBC, ESPN and even regular HBO as possible options, he told RingTV.com on Tuesday. Arum is eyeing April 22 for Pacquiao’s return, saying he would fight outside the U.S., with Australia and undefeated contender Jeff Horn in the mix.

“I’m not dealing with an ordinary fighter here who has to squeeze every buck out,” Arum told RingTV.com, speaking of Pacquiao. “One thing I’m looking forward to — the possibility of putting the fight on free television in the United States. We’re looking at a future president of the Philippines and if he fights outside the United States and people in the United States and around the world are able to watch his fight without paying any additional money — I think it’s a plus. It puts him on a really different level.”

Arum listed several networks but will give HBO the benefit of first refusal. “If we make that arrangement, then we go to HBO and give them the first opportunity to show the fight without an additional charge to their subscribers,” he said. “Or we go to one of the networks (such as CBS, NBC) or ESPN.”

Whatever happens, Pacquiao’s next fight won’t come against unified junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford. “It doesn’t make sense,” Arum said of that match-up. “The only way we can afford a Crawford fight is on pay-per-view and I would like to avoid pay-per-view for Manny’s next fight.”



Arum staged Pacquiao’s last fight against Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 on Top Rank’s PPV arm, bypassing HBO PPV, which usually handles Pacquiao’s fights. Though Arum coined the experience a success, with more than 300,00 buys and Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 knockouts) picking up a welterweight title, he won’t be doing the same for Pacquiao’s fight in April, which he said could land in any number of foreign territories outside the U.S.

“We have big, big offers from the Middle East, from Australia, so we’re weighing those offers now,” he said. And among the candidates to face Pacquiao is Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), who is now involved with Top Rank and has quickly caught Arum’s eye. “If we go to Australia, certainly he’ll be a leading candidate,” Arum said. “He’s a great looking kid, speaks very well. He’s undefeated. He’s a tough guy. He has a great back-story, being a school teacher, so it makes a lot of sense.”

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