Bob Arum Exclusive: ‘I always thought Manny had the style and ability to beat Floyd’

Manny Pacquiao will be gunning for his biggest victory to date on May 2 (Photo: Chris Farina – Top Rank)

Manny time

By Chris Robinson

The countdown to one of the biggest boxing events of all time has begun, as Floyd Mayweather will face off with Manny Pacquiao on May 2 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

And while Pacquiao is a clear underdog heading into the match, the Filipino icon’s promoter Bob Arum is savoring the idea of an upset.

“I like Manny’s chances,” Arum told HusrtleBoss.com on Tuesday evening. “I’ve always liked his chances. I’ve always thought Manny had the style and ability to beat Floyd and I certainly feel that way now.”

When Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez in December of 2012, a fight with Mayweather seemed to be all but lost. But to Pacquiao’s credit, he has bounced back with decision wins over Brandon Rios, Tim Bradley, and Chris Algieri.

Mayweather, meanwhile, is coming off of a pair of victories over Marcos Maidana in which he went the full distance.

The first Maidana bout was closer than many would have expected, and Mayweather seemed to have much more urgency the second time around.

Arum explains his belief as to why Mayweather is slowing down.

“I think Maidana showed that Floyd is becoming a lot more vulnerable that he was,” said Arum. “As you age the first thing that goes is your legs and Floyd doesn’t have the mobility that he had before.”

Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *