Top rank golden boy feud ending soon

[rokko]

By Michael Marley

All signs, including Oscar De La Hoya’s official Twitter account page, are that the hot promotional war between Bob Arum’s Top Rank and Oscar’s Golden Boy Promotions is over.

Going further, strong indications are that there won’t even be a cold war going on between the sport’s top two promotional outfits.

Just in time for the start of summer, the Memorial Day weekend, I won’t say that “love” is in the air between Los Angeles based GBP and Las Vegas based TR but the two sides have been hitting the “like” button with increasing frequency.

All matters of dispute, both litigation and arbitration, between the two boxing behemoths will shortly disappear. And that would include Manny Pacquiao’s libel suit over drug abuse allegations, at least in connection with Golden Boy.

That’s what is partially behind Oscar’s Twitter apologies for anything hurtful he’s said in the past about both Arum and Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao on Thursday. De La Hoya is in a California substance abuse rehabilitation center, possibly by the beach in Malibu, and part of his rehab regimen is “making amends” to those he may have wronged one way or another.

As for Arum, who was in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, he gracefully accepted Oscar’s apologies.

“I will say this, it is a very nice gesture on Oscar’s part,” the 79 year old promoter said. “We’re grateful for that.”

Arum had a recent sitdown session with Oscar’s chief lieutenant, Richard Schaefer, as directed by their dispute mediator (the former California State Judge Daniel Weinstein) and significant progress was made in clearing the air between the archrivals.

Will this clear the way so fight fans might benefit from seeing Pacquaio fighting a GBP boxer such as Vicious Victor Ortiz or Pinoy Nonito Donaire Jr., who fled Top Rank for Oscar’s boxing band, fighting an Arum boxer?

Arum answered in the affirmative without hesitation.

“We’re moving forward and we certainly can work together,” Arum said by telephone. “Why not work together where it makes sense? Now there are no impediments.”

It remains to be seen whether Pacquiao will also drop legal claims as to defamation by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If this “Love Train” stays on track and on schedule, it could give an impetus to making the Mayweather-Pacquiao super bout in 2012.

Pacquiao will fight archrival Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas and Mayweather, inactive for 13 months, continues to be rumored to be looking to a tune up bout for the early fall.

Let the ring romance begin.

[rokko]

On Thursday, former 10 time world champion Oscar De La Hoya has apparently begun the process of making amends to those he has hurt over the last several years. De La Hoya, who has currently been working through a cocaine addiction in a California rehab, acknowledged today that he has participated in attacking Manny Pacquiao in the past and apologized to boxing's current pound-for-pound champion.

Oscar made the following comments via his Twitter page on Thursday morning:

"I also want to apologize To Manny Pacquiao for any wrong doing in my part. You are a great champion."

De La Hoya publicly questioned Manny's integrity in late 2009 and early 2010. Oscar insinuated that Manny had to be taking PEDs (steroids or HGH) when he fought him. Pacquiao fought Oscar De La Hoya in December, 2008 and defeated Oscar via 8th round stoppage. Manny effectively retired Oscar.

Additionally, Oscar joined The Mayweather family campaign of publicly accusing Pacquiao of cheating and demanding that he take random drug tests according to the USADA. In January 2010, Pacquiao filed a defamation suit and named the Mayweathers, Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya. In March 2011, a judge ruled that there was merit for Pacquiao's claims as the parties did defame Pacquiao.

Last week, De La Hoya entered a drug rehab for what's being reported as an addiction to cocaine that has gotten out of control. Additionally, there have been reports that Oscar's drug problems is only a small part of a larger scandal involving inappropriate sexual encounters. As of this article, there has been no further details on these encounters.

From Oscar's Twitter:

"Dear bob arum first I would like to humbly apologize for any pain I have caused to you and or your family.I also want to apologize....To manny paquiao for any wrong doing in my part.you are a great champion.I have realized that by accepting my mistakes everyone around me...Will hopefully forgive me.with great humility I ask we work together for the good of the sport we dearly love.It is not fair to the fans...And to the fighters.so today let's move forward and put on the best fights possible and show the world what we are capable of doing. Thank you bob.your friend oscar"-----examiner.

[Yogi]

I have a lot of respect for Oscar as a fighter. Actually is he in the top 5 of my all time favorite fighters, but I have very little respect for him as a promoter. I guess it goes back to the old saying, "People that live in glass houses, shouldn't be throwing stones. For him to go around and accuse Pacquiao of taking illegal substances without a shred of proof, while he is taking illegal substances hiomself, just isn't right, no matter how you slice it. It is as bad as a spouse that is going around cheating on their partner and accusing them of cheating. It is demented and down right repulsive.

As far as Bob Arum goes, I have lost a lot of respect for him also. I didn't see him say anything to GBP like, even though we couldn't get our top fighters together, we should set that a side and make other fights that the fans would like to see. Because of that, he is just as guilty of dragging this crap out as Oscar is. It is a pretty sad thing, what both of these guys have been doing to this sport.

Now that Oscar has his head screwed on straight and him and Bob Arum try to work together to bring the fans the fights they want to see, there will be some redemption in the eyes of the fans.

[Fibroso]

This can only tell us that Oscar has been a substance abuser for quite a while. When he fought Paquiao he was already doing drugs, this had to do with the poor performance displayed by the Golden Boy not only in this fight but in the Mayweather and Mosley encounters.