Arum bucks US warning, flies to Sarangani

MANILA, Philippines - Ignoring the US government’s travel warning to its citizens about the risks of travel to Mindanao, legendary promoter Bob Arum flew to General Santos City yesterday to help his prized fighter, Manny Pacquiao, win the election.

“Sporadic violence throughout the Philippines is also possible before and after the May 10 national and local elections and the June 30 inaugurations,” read the US travel warning that was issued a couple of weeks ago.

Arum must have missed that page when he booked his flight from Las Vegas to Manila to General Santos City.

The Top Rank president, who was also in Mindanao when Pacquiao ran in the 2007 elections, said he’s here for the final days of the campaign and help Pacquiao win his bid for a congressional seat in Sarangani.

“My role is to be supportive here, I am not here to talk about (Floyd) Mayweather or any other fights. I did not come here with any fight offers, for Mayweather or anyone else. I don’t want to distract Manny from the election campaign,” he said.

Arum, a Harvard lawyer, is aware that there’s a law prohibiting him from speaking in rallies and doing interviews regarding the campaign, but added that the good side to it is that he’s also prohibited from making “financial contributions” 

“I’m here, in a limited way, as his political adviser. So I am a would be James Carville in this election,” Arum told The Examiner’s Michael Marley who might soon call General Santos City his second home.

“You’ve got to understand – I’m not here to talk about boxing. I’m not here as a boxing promoter, but as a wanna-be James Carville,” Arum told Boxing Fanhouse, and referring to the American political consultant, commentator, attorney and actor rolled into one.

“I’m here to help him. Whichever direction he goes, my job is to be supportive. That’s why I’m over here, to see what little I can do to help him get elected,” Arum said, adding that if Pacquiao decides to retire, then it’s retirement that’s going to happen.

“Then I’d throw a retirement party for him. I don’t care if people don’t believe that. He’s a very special person and I’m not going to interfere with that,” Arum was quoted as saying.

Arum, however, can’t help but talk about the aborted Pacquiao-Mayweather super-fight, a fight that still could or should happen, the way the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight in 1971.

“No question now, especially since both of their last fights are perceived as walkovers, that 99.5 percent of the public wants to see Manny Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather next. Those two bouts were not competitive because both guys are so good.”

A Pacquiao vs Mayweather will be the greatest fight of all time, one that will break all existing records in boxing, and one that will give both fighters no less than $30 million each. It’s the fight the whole world wants to see -- the sooner, the better.

“I had my doubts on Mayweather wanting it but now Floyd now genuinely wants the fight against Manny. Floyd knows you can’t putter around. For right now, I will not talk about negotiations and I won’t go into negotiations showing my cards. These issues have to be talked about in private, not in public, and that was the mistake by Mayweather’s people last time we tried to make it,” said Arum.

“I don’t want that to happen again. If everything goes well, a good time for that fight would be November, that would be a perfect time.”