Arum seeks higher pay-per-view mark

MANILA, Philippines - The numbers are finally out: 1.25 million pay-per-view buys or equivalent to $78.4 million in revenue for Floyd Mayweather’s recent demolition of Victor Ortiz.

Still, it shouldn’t be enough to make Bob Arum’s eyes pop or make Manny Pacquiao beg for a superfight with the undefeated American.

“I don’t need Floyd,” said the Filipino superstar.

Pacquiao is all set to face Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, and he and his promoters are hoping to do better than 1.25 million buys.

Pacquiao’s last fight against Shane Mosley did over 1.3 million hits, and Arum said he expects to surpass that number in the trilogy with Marquez.

“We’re looking at huge numbers because this fight is going to be another classic,” said Arum.

Pacquiao has done 1.25 million PPV buys twice in his career, in fights against Oscar dela Hoya and Miguel Cotto.

Mayweather, however, still holds the record of 2.4 million buys for his 2007 match with Dela Hoya.

But that doesn’t mean that he remains the hottest commodity out in the market today.

The other day, Arum said he’s no longer looking forward to a fight with Mayweather, who proclaims himself as the greatest.

“That fight will never, ever happen,” Arum told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

The ageless boxing promoter said Mayweather will never run out of reasons to stay away from Pacquiao.

“When Mayweather talks about how he hates Top Rank he’s talking bulls---. What Mayweather hates is Manny’s right hand. Mayweather has no chin and Manny will knock him out.

Pacquiao and Mayweather is a three or four-round fight. Period. And who knows that best? Mayweather. It’s the right hand of Manny that is preventing that fight from happening. If Manny agreed just to jab with the right hand the fight would be made in 30 seconds,” Arum said.

Mayweather can easily price himself out of Pacquiao’s way.

The 32-year-old fighting congressman from the Philippines said that’s what’s going to happen if and when talks ever resume.

“I’m sure he will ask for a bigger share,” said Pacquiao. “But that will never happen. I won’t even agree to a fifty-fifty split with him.”