Bob Arum explains his 'NoTrump' Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley undercard

It’s part of a boxing promotion and it grabs eyeballs, so you start with the idea that veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum’s "NoTrump" undercard for the April 9 Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight in Las Vegas is a cute gimmick.

Wrong, says Arum, a proud liberal who wants to use the stage of an HBO pay-per-view forum to expose what Arum says is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s wrong-sighted build-a-wall, anti-immigration platform.

Arum and Trump were formerly work associates, with Arum staging “numerous” ESPN fights at Trump properties. But the fight promoter, who during 50 years in the business has helped guide the paths of many greats from Muhammad Ali to Floyd Mayweather Jr.and Pacquiao, said he’s repulsed by Trump’s philosophy.

“My position on immigration and Hispanics is diametrically opposed to his,” Arum said. “What he is doing is preaching hate. So I’m standing up for my Hispanic neighbors and all the Hispanic kids who fight for me. I mean, somebody has to stand up to this crap.”

Before Coachella Valley’s Bradley defends his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against former eight-division champion Pacquiao at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez (33-0, 24 knockouts) of Mazatlan will fight for the WBO super-middleweight belt of German champion Arthur Abraham.

Then, former Mexico Olympian Oscar Valdez (19-0, 16 KOs), the top-ranked WBO featherweight contender who resides in Lake Elsinore and trains each weekday in Carson, will fight Russia’s Evgeny Gradovich. And super-lightweight Jose Ramirez of Avenal, Calif., will meet Manny Perez.

Arum said he views fighters such as Gilberto Ramirez, Valdez and Jose Ramirez as shining lights of what immigration means to the U.S. – people coming here, driven to create a better life through strong work ethic.

Jose Ramirez is a huge draw to the working-class crowds in Fresno, which earned him the promotion to Las Vegas on HBO.

“They’re good, hard-working, dedicated people,” Arum said of his fighters.

Although Trump is a big boxing fan – he sat ringside at Madison Square Garden in October to watch unbeaten middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin stop Canada’s David Lemieux – Arum said the Republican front-runner is not invited to the April 9 card.

“These people deserve legalization and they can’t be demonized as rapists when they’re not,” Arum said.

Arum, who previously worked in the U.S. Justice Department when Robert F. Kennedy was Attorney General, supports Hillary Clinton for president. He previously was helped by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to coordinate a personal meeting between Pacquiao and President Obama.

“[Trump’s] a salesman and an opportunist,” Arum said. “He may be preaching hate because it’s what he believes, or he may be doing it – even worse – because it’ll get him the votes of bigoted people who scorn Hispanics.”

Fights Boxing Fans Desperately Want to See in 2016

In 2015, boxing fans finally got to see the fight they had been waiting years for, when Floyd Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao by decision on May 2. In the year ahead, boxing fans will be clamoring for matchups featuring new stars, such as Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev and Terence Crawford. 

It's not as if fans will simply forget about Mayweather and Pacquiao. There are compelling fights out there for them, if they are interested in making them. 

But 2016 will be about the dawn of a new era. And young stars like Kell Brook, Vasyl Lomachenko and Errol Spence Jr. will be anxious to stake their own claims. There should be plenty to look forward to next year.

Expect Manny Pacquiao to fight Timothy Bradley next

Timothy Bradley will leave Puerto Rico on Saturday either elated or utterly disappointed. That much was evident when it was revealed Monday that former pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will announce the next, and presumably last, opponent of his storied boxing career on Friday’s truTV telecast in San Juan, where Bradley will be working as a ringside analyst.

Bradley, the welterweight champion from Cathedral City, has recently stated that he would fight Pacquiao, the former eight-division world champion, if Pacquiao opts to enter the ring with him once again. Bradley defeated Pacquiao in 2012 to capture the signature win of his fight career. Pacquaio won the rematch two years later, though Bradley has since regained the welterweight title he initially won from, and then lost to, Pacquiao.

Pacquaio has been biding his time since having surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder following his May 2 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. He’s reportedly been considering Bradley for a rubber match out of a pool of candidates that also included unbeaten Terence Crawford and British fighter Amir Khan. But all signs point to Bradley being the selection, given that Pacquiao’s choice will be announced on the telecast Bradley will be working on Friday night.

It’s fair to question whether Top Rank Promotions, which has a contract with both Pacquaio and Bradley, and hosts fight cards on truTV, would endorse an announcement of Pacquaio’s next fight on the telecast if Bradley were not the choice. Crawford will reportedly be in attendance at the fight.

If Pacquiao were to select Bradley, it would confirm what two independent boxing sources with connections to Pacquiao told The Desert Sun earlier on Monday. The sources, speaking under the condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the announcement, said that Pacquiao had ultimately chosen Bradley (33-1-1, 13 knockouts) over Crawford because of Bradley’s reputable name in the sport and Pacquiao’s familiarity with him.

Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. faceoff official weighin at the MGM Grand Garden Arena a day before their June 9, 2012 bout against Asian superstar Manny Pacquiao. Omar Ornelas/ The Desert Sun (Photo: Omar Ornelas/ The Desert Sun)

Whether it turns out to be Bradley or not, the fight will take place on April 9 in Las Vegas on pay-per-view, and will earn Pacquiao a guaranteed $20 million. Bradley, who made $6 million for each of the first two fights with Pacquiao, would perhaps be in for his richest payday yet if he were the choice.

Bradley, 32, is scheduled to leave Puerto Rico on Saturday and travel to New York, where he will be reunited with trainer Teddy Atlas to receive the Ring 8 Fighter of the Year award. It could turn out to be a valuable opportunity to begin making preparations to defeat a fighter who some believe beat Bradley twice, in spite of what the final scorecards read.

A Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 knockouts) fight with Khan is one most boxing fans have been clamoring for, and one that has been rumored for years. Kahn was widely viewed as the most logical opponent for Pacquiao, though Crawford is a rising star in the sport and Bradley was beaten soundly last year after winning on a controversial decision in the first bout.

Ultimately, though, Bradley appears to present the best option for Pacquiao. He’s a fairly big name, a world champion, and someone Pacquaio has had success against in the past. And because it may be Pacquiao’s last fight, that alone could be enough to generate interest and pay-per-view buys. In addition, Bradley tore a calm muscle early in the second fight and, if healthy, the fight could be more interesting this time around.

Isaac Brekken/AP file Manny Pacquiao, right, of the Philippines, lands a shot on Timothy Bradley in their WBO welterweight title boxing match last year in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) (Photo: Isaac Brekken, AP)

Bradley is coming off a solid 2015. He beat Jessie Vargas by unanimous decision on June 27, and then became the first fighter to knock out Brandon Rios, on Nov. 7, to show that he can still fight at a high level. He switched trainers, from Joel Diaz to Atlas, in September, which seems to have rejuvenated him a bit.

At the very least, there should be plenty of storylines to go along with a Bradley-Pacquiao III. If Bradley is indeed the choice, and is able to defeat Pacquiao after the year that he’s had in 2015, he’ll be able to take a giant leap closer to the Hall of Fame, and perhaps set himself up for something even bigger later next year.

Andrew L. John covers boxing for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif. Contact him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Andrew_L_John.

Door ajar for Floyd Mayweather rematch as Manny Pacquiao hints at final fight before retirement

Manny Pacquiao has left the door open to the possibility of a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year.

Pacquiao, 36, revealed in a television interview that he intended to retire from boxing in 2016 to further his career in politics – but is hoping to fight one last time before he steps away from the ring.

An intriguing meeting with former training partner Amir Khan has previously been mooted but a rematch with Mayweather, who beat Pacquiao on points in May, would be the more obvious (and money-spinning) conclusion to the Filipino’s career.

The unbeaten Mayweather has already announced his retirement, but many informed observers believe he will fight once more in a bid to surpass Rocky Marciano’s record of retiring with a record of 49-0.

“I think I’m ready [to retire],” Pacquiao said. “I’ve been in boxing for more than 20 years.

“I prayed to God for guidance and I am happy about it.”

Pacquiao added that he hopes to fight once more before entering politics – a career change that he believes will become his focus.

“I will have to give up the other things that require my attention,” he added.

“If you are a senator, your focus should only be your job and your family.

“I will not be absent because the whole country would be my responsibility.”

Manny Pacquiao plans to retire after one more fight next year

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao says he is likely to retire from the sport after one more fight next year.

Pacquiao, who lost to Floyd Mayweather in his last fight, wants to run for a seat in the Philippines senate in 2016.

Britain's Amir Khan is one potential opponent for 36-year-old Pacquiao, with American Terence Crawford among the other contenders.

"I think I'm ready. I've been in boxing for more than 20 years," the six-weight world champion told ANC.

"If you are a senator, your focus should only be your job and your family.

"I will have to give up the other things that require my attention."

Pacquiao said he "cannot say" whether his last fight would be a rematch against Mayweather, with the American having pledged to retire after his defeat of Andre Berto.

The Filipino, who underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff after the fight against Mayweather, boasts a fight record of 57 wins, six losses and two draws.

Manny Pacquiao to retire in 2016 if elected senator in the Philippines: Bob Arum

Manny Pacquiao will return to fight in 2016 but it could be the Filipino’s last if he wins as a senator in the Philippine elections, according to boxing promoter Bob Arum.

"He's [going to] fight again next year but his goal is to become a senator in the Philippines, which he will be next year, and then to be president,” Arum, the founder of Top Rank Promotions which handles Pacquiao's fights, declared to TMZ.com. "I think Manny will retire once he's elected to the Senate of the Philippines which is next year ... he's [going to] hang up the gloves."

This is not the first time Arum has said that Pacquiao has plans for the presidency in his country. In April earlier this year, Arum said that the Filipino has plans on running for a senate seat in 2016 and for president in 2022.

Pacquiao is coming off a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May 2, 2015 when he aggravated a shoulder injury and eventually needed surgery. The Filipino boxer is pegged to be out from six to nine months from the time of surgery before full recovery. Pacquiao is expected to be back in action in the early part of 2016.

Among the rumoured opponents for Pacquiao is British boxer Amir Khan in a fight possibly held in the Middle East, according to separate reports. 

The election in the Philippines is scheduled on May 9, 2016. Pacquiao was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th and 16th Congress of the Philippines in 2010 and 2013. Pacquiao has yet to announce his plans for the 2016 elections. 

Floyd Mayweather suggests Manny Pacquiao will replace him as the best fighter in the world

Not everyone believes that Floyd Mayweather’s fight this Saturday against Andre Berto really will be the final one of his career. But the undefeated welterweight remains insistent that it will, in fact, be his swan song.

On Tuesday, Mayweather was asked a question that assumes he is about to exit the stage. Who does he think will replace him as “the best fighter in the world”?

Mayweather paused to consider his answer, then said, “We don’t know, really.” But when pressed to offer a name, the 48-0 boxer had this to say:

“I really cannot say, I mean, we’ll just have to see.

“Probably Manny Pacquiao. We can’t just take it away from him because he lost to me.

“Probably, I would say Manny Pacquiao.”

Interesting words, considering how poor Pacquiao looked in their May mega-fight won by Mayweather in a unanimous decision. After that desultory contest, the Filipino fighter said that he had badly injured his shoulder while training, a claim that Mayweather mocked in a July Instagram post.

More recently, Mayweather’s father said that Pacquiao was “a liar with no skills.” Currently, Ring magazine rates Pacquiao No. 6 in its pound-for-pound rankings (Mayweather tops the list).

It’s possible that Mayweather is just trying to put a more positive spin on his fight with Pacquiao; if he can convince people that his opponent that night is the heir to his crown as the sport’s best, then his own victory will look that much better. However, Mayweather still has some convincing to do on the issue of Berto’s worthiness, at least to judge from reports that hundreds, if not thousands, of tickets are still available for that contest.