Golden Boy slams Top Rank for hand-picking Manny Pacquiao’s opponents
Recent comments by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer indicate his team still isn’t baking friendship cookies with rival promoter Top Rank.
In a latest video with Fanhouse, Schaefer all but blamed Top Rank CEO Bob Arum for the onset of comments from those who believe Manny Pacquiao’s opponents have been hand-picked to ensure his success.
Much heat came from future Hall-of-Famer Bernard Hopkins, who pointed to the dubiousness of Pacquiao never facing a “slick” African American fighter.
But speculation rose to new heights after media reported Pacquiao wasn’t interested in a third fight with lightweight sensation Juan Manuel Marquez.
Schaefer rejected the rumours, saying: “I don't think that Manny Pacquiao would turn down anyone to fight. But I am a little surprised about his [Pacquiao's] comments about Marquez to tell you the truth because that's a little uncharacteristic for him.”
In fact, Pacquiao indicated he would be open to a third clash with Marquez, but questioned whether the bout would receive the viewership of others potential fights.
"It really is not Manny Pacquiao, I think that it's his promoter [who says he wouldn’t be interested in a Marquez fight],” Schaefer continued. “Manny fights whoever his promoter puts in front of him. Do you think Manny Pacquiao was picking Joshua Clottey?
I mean give me a break, you know?"
Schaefer seemed intent on proving that Pacquiao merely does the fighting and none of the thinking in terms of prospective opponents.
Schaefer took another dangerous step: “So you really can't be disappointed in Pacquiao. If you have to be disappointed, you can be disappointed in Arum, but not in Pacquiao.”
“Arum has that way about him to take charge, and I think that it takes a very strong fighter to stand up to that and to say, you know what? I'm the boss and I'm going to say who I want to fight."
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