Manny Pacquiao talking extension with Arum

by Strongback Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:53 pm

Fat Dan article below. If Manny signs with Arum is this the final nail in the Manny v Floyd coffin? Or does anyone care anymore?

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Manny Pacquiao and longtime promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank are discussing a five-fight contract extension that would take the Filipino superstar through 2016, which would coincide with Pacquiao's wish to fight for two more years.

"Yes, we are talking about the extension," Arum told ESPN.com. "We are working it out. We are talking about a lot of things. How many fights would be in Macau, how many would be in the United States, how many in other places. But we are talking about five fights."

Arum said if the deal is completed, it would likely mean a fight this fall followed by two fights each in 2015 and 2016.

Pacquiao's existing promotional agreement with Top Rank runs out at the end of this year, but he has stated time and again that he is loyal to Arum and hopes to finish his career with him, perhaps even to the detriment of making the biggest fight in boxing, a match with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has steadfastly refused to do business with Arum, his former promoter.

Arum has promoted Pacquiao since 2005, just before he began his historic run up the scale that saw him win world titles in five of the record eight weight classes he has claimed belts in.

"I have had conversations with Bob about an extension, but nothing has been finalized," Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser, told ESPN.com. "Do we fight again this year or take some time off and fight next year? There are a lot of things to work on, but the new agreement we are discussing would entail five fights. That's our intention, barring injury."

Full article here:

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/10852241/manny-pacquiao-promoter-bob-arum-discussing-5-fight-extension