Arum: ‘Yes, Pacquiao - de la Hoya bout possible’

MANILA, Philippines – Does Bob Arum think Manny Pacquiao can fight Oscar de la Hoya? If a recent radio interview is any indication, it’s a yes. But whether it’s a go depends on a few variables that include, not surprisingly, the prize money. “Yes, of course there is," Arum said, replying when asked if he thought a Pacquiao-de la Hoya fight was possible in an interview Friday on Sports Chat radio program on dzSR Sports Radio. Trainer Freddie Roach questioned recently the “sellability" of the names being mentioned as Pacquiao’s next opponent. Although he didn’t disregard the skills of Humberto Soto and Edwin Valero, Roach doubted their box-office appeal and said Thursday in the same radio program that a Pacquiao-de la Hoya fight was the ideal match-up. Arum, who owns the promotional rights to Soto and Valero, didn’t discount the possibility of setting up Pacquiao with de la Hoya for the blockbuster showdown, but he said he needed to meet personally with Pacquiao first. “Manny is coming to Vegas for the [Miguel] Cotto fight," Arum said. “He’ll be arriving on Friday and we’ll discuss what his plans are going to be." “Unless I sit with [Pacquiao lawyer] Jeng Gacal and Manny and find out their financial demands and find out what percentage of the revenue we can get from a de la Hoya-Pacquiao fight," Arum added, “everything is really premature." Arum said the bottom line is first, whether de la Hoya and Pacquiao would agree to fight one another. “And secondly," Arum continued, “whether the financial renumerations are appropriate." In his megabuck showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, de la Hoya received a whopping $55 million. In his fight versus David Diaz, Pacquiao took home an estimated $3 million – GMANews.TV