Bob Arum Calls Showtime ‘Masochists’ For Allowing Floyd Mayweather To Lose Company Money

With the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight still not finalised, Bob Arum, founder and president of Top Rank Promotions continue to criticise Mayweather and The Money Team. The promoter’s latest tirade is about the undefeated American’s failure to give Showtime, the boxing outfit that carry his pay-per-view (PPV) bout rights, their deserved earnings as Mayweather signed a huge contract extension in 2013.

“As long as Floyd has a contract with two freebies coming from Showtime he is content with that,” Arum bluntly stated via thaboxingvoice.com. “If I were Showtime and I was taking losses as big as I am on Mayweather fights, I wouldn’t be happy, but who knows maybe they have a bunch of masochists running the company.”

The contract extension is worth roughly $30 to $40 million per fight and the deal is good for six fights, according to reports during the time of the signing of the contract. The 37-year-old Mayweather has since fought four times, once against Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez and twice against Marcos Maidana.

Arum’s contention that Showtime is losing money over the Mayweather deal is supported by the fact that all his fights, except the record-breaking fight versus Alvarez in Sept. 2013, has under-performed in the PPV numbers. Mayweather remains a big draw in the United States, but pressure is mounting on the American to face only the best fighters in the division and not take up fight against average fighters like Maidana, Guerrero and others.

Recently, Mayweather allowed himself to be interviewed by none other than Showtime and address the talks of the probable Mayweather vs. Pacquiao super fight in 2015. Mayweather, for the first time in history, has publicly acknowledged that he wants to fight the Filipino and even stating a specific date, May 2, 2015, on when he wants to meet Pacquiao on top of the ring.

Arum and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar De La Hoya, were both disappointed with the Mayweather’s pronouncements saying it’s a form of disrespect against Mexico and Mexicans if Mayweather fights on Cinco de Mayo weekend. Arum and De La Hoya has previously announced that Mexican Canelo Alvarez will be facing Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto during that week.

Arum’s latest words against Mayweather could further damage the already strained relationship between the two camps. But it could also motivate Mayweather or Showtime to finally finalise the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight in 2015.