Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that the early pay-per-view numbers released on Manny Pacquiao's victory over Miguel Cotto are "over a million and under 1.5 million buys -- and that's without all of the precincts being reported."
"They're not really accurate yet, but all that we can say with absolute certainty is that Pacquiao-Cotto was the biggest, revenue-producing event on pay-per-view for the entire year," said Arum. "And that surpasses all of the UFC. Everything. Any event. It's the biggest event of the year from the standpoint of revenue being generated."
Arum, who promotes Pacquiao (50-3-2, 37 knockouts), said that he met with officials at HBO on Thursday concerning the numbers.
In this FanHouse video, Arum ranks Manny Pacquiao above boxing's all time greats. He also discusses the Filipino fighter's impact on the sport of boxing, his analysis of Cotto's defeat and where boxing falls in the American sports hierarchy.
Floyd Mayweather was nowhere to be seen in the MGM Grand Hotel during the lead-up to this past Saturday night's Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto welterweight megafight. Nor could the undefeated, five-time champion and Las Vegas resident be found when Pacquiao made history by lifting from Cotto the WBO's 147-pound title belt.
But in the days since Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, stood in the ring before a packed MGM Grand Garden Arena and called out his name as the man he wanted to be Pacquiao's next opponent, Mayweather has gotten the message loud and clear.
Mayweather's name was even chanted by the crowd of more than 16,200, but he says that he just hasn't heard it from Pacquiao's own mouth.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The atmosphere was electric in the MGM Grand Arena following Manny Pacquiao's historic, 12th-round TKO of WBO champ, Miguel Cotto. With the victory, Pacquiao became the first boxer to win titles in seven weight divisions.
Hear the ringside views of welterweight (147 pounds) contender, Andre Berto, as well as post-fight reaction from Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach.
Throughout the promotion leading up to Saturday night's mega-fight between challenger Manny Pacquiao and his champion fighter Miguel Cotto, trainer Joe Santiago's reputation has taken a verbal beating from his counterpart, Freddie Roach.
A Hall of Fame cornerman whose hopes to guide Pacquiao to an unprecedented, seventh world title in a different weight class, Roach has taken shots at Santiago's relative inexperience.
But during Wednesday's press conference at the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel where Saturday night's clash will be held, Santiago stepped up to the podium and carried himself the same way that he has throughout the fight's buildup.
With a confidence, a calm demeanor, a calculated speech and, ultimately, control.
WBO and WBC middleweight champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik will fight Miguel Espino on Dec. 19 at in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, his promoter, Top Rank president Bob Arum, confirmed on Monday. Pavlik has apparently healed from a staph infection that twice prompted him to cancel scheduled title bouts against three-time champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams.
Arum said that Pavlik will face Espino as the main event of a Top Rank pay-per-view card entitled, "Latin Fury."
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum called a recent report that he is negotiating a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight in early March at Cowboys Stadium "total nonsense."
"We haven't talked to Mayweather," said Arum. "We haven't discussed it with Mayweather."
The story, reported by an affiliate of The Dallas Morning News, quoted Top Rank vice president Bruce Trampler as indicating that Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) needed to dethrone WBO champ Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) on Nov. 14, after which Top Rank could focus on making the fight with Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) in Arlington, Texas.
George Foreman was 28 fights into his comeback from a 10-year absence from the ring, had won 27 times, stopped 25 of his opponents, and failed during his first attempt at winning a heavyweight title.
But Foreman wasn't going to blow his second chance at world championship glory, when he faced southpaw Michael Moorer.
This time, the 45-year-old grandfather and father of nine was ready.
Foreman, 60, talks about his historic accomplishment as well as life after boxing during this, the fourth and final installment of a four-part series detailing how he became boxing's oldest man to win a division's crown.
Fernando Montiel will defend his WBO bantamweight title against Z Gorres, and Eric Morel will take on Gerry Penalos on Feb. 13 at the Las Vegas Hilton, promoter Bob Arum told FanHouse on Friday.
"After that, the winners will fight the winners in June," Arum said of the clash of 118-pounders. "It's like a tournament."
Since losing a split decision to Jhonny Gonzalez in May of 2006, the 30-year-old Montiel (39-2-2, 29 knockouts) is 7-0-1 with four knockouts, including a split decision victory over Gorres in February 2007.
Promoter Bob Arum called it "fair" that Manny Pacquiao has 60 days from the day after facing WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 to decide whether or not to defend the IBO junior welterweight (140) crown he won by second-round knockout over England's Ricky Hatton in May.
The notification, issued by IBO president Ed Levine on Wednesday, calls for Pacquiao to relinquish his crown should he fail to comply.
"Yeah, they called me about that. I think that's fair," Arum told FanHouse on Thursday night. "It's 60 days to decide whether he wants to defend it. Otherwise, there's other people who are waiting to get a shot at the title, and Manny will make a decision after the fight."
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos. 
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