By Robert Morales
Promoter Bob Arum said as recently as late last month that, things were in motion regarding the possible Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight.
Richard Schaefer is CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which has promoted Mayweather's past few fights. At one point Arum suggested that Schaefer was being left out of any Mayweather-Pacquiao talks, which angered Golden Boy in general. Schaefer assured BoxingScene.com that there is not one bit of negotiating currently taking place for this fight, in spite of Arum having said there are several companies that have come forward offering to finance what would be the biggest money-making fight in history.
"Bob Arum. Who the hell gives a s**t about Bob Arum?" Schaefer said. "He can say whatever he wants. I'm astonished that some media members still give credibility to what comes out of his mouth. What Arum is saying, it's pretty sad. He's such a liar.
"He is making up all these stories. He is fooling some of these media members over and over again. I couldn't care less what he says. He's lying and that's all I have to say about it. There are no negotiations; they don't want to do it. He is probably doing it to fool Pacquiao, to make him think there is something going on. There is nothing going on."
The Mayweather camp said it has reserved a May 5 date for Mayweather's next fight, and indicated it wanted Pacquiao to be the opponent. But it takes two to tango.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, did not return a call seeking comment. Arum is on holiday vacation, according to Top Rank Inc. spokesman Lee Samuels.
Schaefer Also Blasts Bradley
Junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley told BoxingScene.com this week that Amir Khan ran around like "a chicken s**t" in his 12-round split-decision loss to Lamont Peterson this past Saturday in a junior welterweight title fight in Washington D.C. This really infuriated Schaefer, especially since Bradley turned down an offer to fight Khan.
"Who gives a f**k?" said Schaefer, when asked about Bradley's comment. "This guy, really, he has a very pleasing smile, but it's one of those situations where, 'Don't let the smile fool you,' because he is the one who turned Amir Khan down.
"It wasn't his manager, it wasn't his promoter. He turned it down. So who is he to call another fighter chicken s**t? I think he should look in the mirror."
Response From 'Desert Storm'
Bradley was reached via telephone Wednesday and told of Schaefer's comments. Bradley laughed as they were being read to him.
"I really have nothing to comment on that," Bradley said. "They can say whatever they want. It really doesn't matter. Bring on Khan, man. I know exactly what I can do to Khan. In the Lamont Peterson fight, I knew he was going to have problems. Styles make fights and Khan is tailor-made for me. It doesn't matter what Richard Schaefer says."
Bradley said he heard the Khan camp recently say if he wants to fight him, he (Bradley) would have to be satisfied with a 70-30 split in Khan's favor because he previously turned down the fight.
"Now it seems like they are avoiding me," Bradley said. "We'll see each other down the line. And now the fact that Amir has lost, that fight is probably going to be a ways from now. He has a little bit of rebuilding to do."
Golden Boy Wants Khan-Peterson II at Staples Center?
With the controversy surrounding the Khan-Peterson fight, during which Khan lost two points for pushing, Golden Boy has made no bones about wanting Peterson to give Khan a rematch.
Schaefer was still seething about the points taken from Khan by referee Joseph Cooper.
"One point, I think, was wrong," Schaefer said. "To deduct two points, I think, was totally wrong."
Schaefer said those deductions notwithstanding, Khan still deserved to be the winner.
"If you leave the point deductions - rightful or not - even if you set those arguments aside, still I think there is no question Amir Khan won the fight," he said.
Schaefer said he didn't want to take anything away from Peterson. He said Peterson did a "terrific job." Schaefer also said he believes this is a candidate for Fight of the Year.
But ...
"That is what Amir is, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport," Schaefer said. "You look at the athleticism and skills Amir Khan has, it is unbelievable and I still feel he is one of the best fighters, pound-for-pound, in the world."
Schaefer said he has already made a lucrative offer to the Peterson camp for a rematch. A date of May 19 is on hold and the rematch could be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
"HBO is on board, Amir is on board," Schaefer said.
Schaefer Scoffs at Naysayers
One had to wonder why Golden Boy would send England's Khan to Washington D.C. to fight Peterson, who was born there. Especially since he has this well-chronicled, heart-wrenching story about his rough childhood. If ever there was a chance a fighter might fall victim to some hometown injustice, this was it.
But Schaefer suggested that boxing is in a world of hurt if it can't send a champion to a challenger's hometown for fear of getting ripped off.
"You always have these second-guessers, these Monday-morning quarterbacks, 'Why did you do this? Why did you do that?' " Schaefer said. "The fact is Amir Khan went into this fight as a 10 to 1 favorite; he wanted the fight there.
"He was recently there for a State dinner hosted by Hillary Clinton and the last thing he expected was the home-cooking, but that's exactly what happened."
Schaefer said there is no one to blame for Khan fighting Peterson on his home turf.
"There were 9,000 people there," he said. "It was a fight which belonged there. The atmosphere came across well. If you cannot go and do that because you have to worry about home-cooking, then there is something seriously wrong with the sport."
Schaefer said not putting fights where they belong "is doing a disservice to the sport. You punish fight fans and sports fans because of the actions of a referee, of a boxing commission, and that's not right."
Referee Cooper has been a professional referee since 1996. He is from Virginia, which is not far from Washington D.C. Much of his work has taken place there.
Schaefer said the British Boxing Board of Control, on behalf of Khan, has filed an official complaint with the boxing commission in Washington D.C. and that Golden Boy is doing likewise with the two sanctioning bodies - the WBA and IBF.
He said since the IBF ordered a rematch between Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko, he expects the body would do the same in this instance. However, that point would be moot if the Peterson camp immediately takes the offer Golden Boy has already put on the table.
Big Night For Ward
Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) will take on Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. At stake are the super middleweight title belts each holds, as well as the championship of Showtime's Super Six Classic.
Success in a situation like this can really further a fighter's career. Ward's promoter, Dan Goossen, knows that.
"It's the type of victory you have to have if you are going to get on the path to superstardom," Goossen said Wednesday via telephone from Atlantic City. "That is the next step. It's comparable, to me, of (Sugar Ray) Leonard-(Thomas) Hearns, two young guys that were coming up together facing off with one another."
Goossen said he can't wait for Saturday.
"Both of these guys are such warriors and both are so tough," Goossen said. "My feeling is it's going to be a tough fight. There is a lot at stake and they're both going to give it everything they've got and it is going to result in a great fight.
"It's going to be so good, I believe that when Froch loses, he's still going to be a top contender."
Goossen was asked about the all the talk centering on who would be the best super middleweight in the world after Saturday. Would it be the winner of Ward-Froch, or fellow champion Lucian Bute (30-0, 24 KOs), who did not compete in the Super Six Classic?
"Both fighters said it yesterday at the press conference," Goossen said. "What they said in summary is that Bute, other than Glen Johnson, really hasn't fought anyone while these two fighters have gone through a gauntlet of top 168-pound fighters.
"There is something to be said for putting your body through that for a two-year period, with Bute kind of sitting in the wings fighting who he's fighting.
You have to earn your shot to get your shot. Although Bute is out there with his title, it hasn't been against the caliber of what these two are fighting."
Aside from Johnson, Bute's two other fairly notable opponents were Librado Andrade (twice) and Edison Miranda.
Goossen was asked if Bute could be next in line for Ward.
"Speaking for Andre's part, he has fought everyone we have put in front of him," Goossen said. "There is no one we wouldn't fight. We have to get the victory first. Whoever deserves to fight Andre next will get that opportunity."
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