Published April 30, 2021, 3:29 PM
Manny Pacquiao and Terrence Crawford (File photos from Wendell Alinea and AP)
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum bared that the proposed mega-bout between Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford did not materialize due to money woes.
Arum revealed that the terms had already been reached but the money intended to push the fight was nowhere to find.
“Look, what happened to us in Abu Dhabi was we had signed contracts and everything and they were supposed to put up the money,” Arum told boxingscene.com. “Well, I’ve been waiting two weeks for the money. Nobody put up the money after promising they would.
Tyson Fury s promoter Bob Arum told
The Athletic on Thursday that the unbeaten WBC heavyweight champion “will not stand for being inactive” much longer and is prepared to walk away from fighting fellow champion Anthony Joshua next if a site deal in the Middle East is not resolved in short order.
“He can’t stand to be out of the ring any longer,” Arum said as England’s Fury, 32, has been conditioning in Las Vegas, but hasn’t fought since stopping former champion Deontay Wilder on February 22, 2020.
Arum added: “This is not good for a fighter.”
The pronouncement from Arum intensifies the pressure on Joshua s promoter Eddie Hearn to secure a site deal in the Middle East for the four-belt unification that would stand as the most significant heavyweight showdown in 20 years.
Arum: Pacquiao-Crawford is Dead Over Money Woes 64 64 comments
The prospect of a Manny Pacquiao-Terence Crawford fight is dead, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told BoxingScene.
Arum said there was deal agreed to for Crawford to defend his WBO welterweight world title against Pacquiao, the all-time great eight-division world champion, on June 5 in the main event of an ESPN pay-per-view event from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Arum said the terms had been agreed to but that the money that was supposed to be put up by a specific deadline was not.
“Look, what happened to us in Abu Dhabi was we had signed contracts and everything and they were supposed to put up the money,” Arum said to BoxingScene.com. “Well, I’ve been waiting two weeks for the money. Nobody put up the money after promising they would.
So much for the proposed fight between Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford.
Pacquiao shared in February that he was training for a return to the ring. He hinted in March that he was thinking of facing Mikey Garcia, but also considering Crawford.
Then on March 30, boxing reporter Mike Coppinger said that Crawford’s promoter, Top Rank, was working on scheduling a June 5 fight in Abu Dhabi between Pac-Man and Crawford. Pacquiao’s promotional company called the report “nonsense.” It seems like Pacquiao’s camp was right.
Coppinger followed up on Friday by saying funding for the fight didn’t come through. He says that means the fight is now “all but dead.”
Report- Long Shot Pacquiao-Crawford Fight Now Completely Dead
Report- Long Shot Pacquiao-Crawford Fight Now Completely Dead
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Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Hall of Famer
Manny Pacquaio has had another proposed fight/opponent for his now nearly two year ring return scrapped. This time it’s his proposed World Welterweight Title showdown with WBO champ,
Terence Crawford, that was being discussed, but now is no longer viable.
The Athletic’s Mike Coppinger reported on social media Friday night that he’s learned that Crawford never formally agreed to fight the seven division World Champ and now, the proposed site of the U.A.E. and the money people involved cannot make it happen either,