13.12.06 – Ricardo Lois, www.boxingconfidential.com — Los Angeles – The World Boxing Council (W.B.C.) announced yesterday that the rights to promote a rematch between W.B.C. Super Featherweight Champion Marco Antonio Barrera and number one contender Manny Pacquiao would go to a purse bid on January 12, 2007. Conventional wisdom dictates that Barrera’s promoter, Golden Boy, or Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, would win the bid.
Nothing in boxing’s backstage soap opera is that simplistic.
A source close to Don King informed Boxing Confidential that King will make a major push to win the January 12th bid and promote the event between Barrera and Pacquiao.
“Don knows a money maker when he sees one. Manny Pacquiao is the hottest thing in boxing right now, do you think Don was going to sit back and see this one get past him? Don King will win this purse bid,” said the source.
Though he is older, Don King is still a major player in boxing and will be until the day he dies. Old electric hair knows how to make money for himself and Pacman is the hottest commodity in the sport..
If King wins the bid and establishes a working relationship with Pacquiao, it could also assist in setting up fights for King’s recently signed lightweight Juan Diaz.
“King knows if he gets his foot in the door with Manny and can present a good show, him and Bob Arum could break bread on a future fight between Juan Diaz and Pacquiao. Bob does not want to work with Oscar De La Hoya, though Oscar has several fighters who are viable challengers to Manny Pacquiao [Joan Guzman and Juan Manuel Marquez].”
The source continued to say.
“Sure Bob will be upset when King wins this bid, but I am sure he would rather work with King than De La Hoya. King knows how to plays to peoples emotions and use it to make money for himself.”
How about the money? With the deep pockets of Steve Wynn in Bob Arum’s corner, can Don King muster enough cash to win the bid?
“You cannot under estimate King, the man has the connections to the type of financial backing necessary to win this bid. Just because he does not announce his backers to the public and wear their name’s on his shoulder, do not think for once second that King cannot challenge Arum.”
The odd man out in this situation would seem to be Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. One has to wonder if Golden Boy has the financial resources to challenge King and Arum?
De La Hoya is quickly learning that being a world class fighter did not prepare him to be a world class promoter.
How will the Golden Boy rally financial backing for this high stakes bidding war? Will he ask Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins to chip into the war chest?
That last question was sarcasam on my part, do you think the financial resources of De La Hoya and friends could challenge the pockets of Arum and King’s fat cat financial backers?
January 12th looks to be a very interesting day in boxing.