They worked together on the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Thrilla in Manila. They did so again onRoberto Duran's victory over Sugar Ray Leonard in Montreal. And there was also Felix Trinidad'scontroversial upset of Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas.
Those are just a few of the promotions that long-time rivals Don King and Bob Arum have worked on successfully, if not, contentiously.
"We also had a good time when we promoted Mike Tyson in one match, and George Foreman in another match," said Arum. "There are others out there, but I mean, those, really, are just the high points of our work together."
And if it came down to it, Arum believes that he and King could make the mega bout betweenFloyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao happen in relatively no time -- this after the twice-failed negotiations between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions could not make the clash come to fruition.
"You know, we'd have a really basic negotiation. We'd yell and scream at each other," said Arum. "But, you know, King says that it would take two hours, and I would say over a weekend. But I would say that over that weekend, that Don King and I would come to terms."
Arum found himself longing for the old days on Thursday, when news broke that King is flying in the 33-year-old Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts) to be a ringside guest for Saturday night's junior welterweight (140 pounds) clash between southpaw WBC and IBF champion Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs) and former WBA king Andriy Kotelnik (31-3-1, 13 KOs).
According to the Lance Pugmire of The Los Angeles Times, King is expected to fly in the six-time champion to St. Louis for Friday's weigh-in before playing host to Mayweather at ringside for the HBO-televised bout at the Scottrade Center, where Alexander is making the second defense of his WBC title, and the first of his IBF crown against Kotelnik before his hometown fans in St. Louis.
The Times reported that King purchased a $500 lobster tail at a Boca Raton, Fla., restaurant for Mayweather last week.
King could not be reached for comment on Thursday evening, nor could Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, or Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.
But BoxingScene.com's Robert Morales reported that Schaefer, whose company has only a handshake agreement with Mayweather, is not worried about a King-Mayweather relationship.
"I'm sure they enjoyed the lobster," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com. "No, it doesn't worry me. Floyd is his own man. The track record speaks for itself, so I don't look at Don King as a threat at this point."
Golden Boy Promotions has worked Mayweather's past four victories comprised of those over De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.
Starting with De La Hoya, Ellerbe told FanHouse recently that Mayweather "has made over $120 million."
King believes he can do the same for Mayweather, if not better.
"Whatever Floyd wants, he gets," King told The Times. "I'm just telling Floyd what he is -- a bad sucker."
Although the 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) is slated to face 32-year-old ex-champAntonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) for the vacant WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title on Nov. 13 either at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium or in Abu Dhabi, Arum is hopeful that a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout could take place sometime in 2011, perhaps, in May.
Pacquiao is pursuing an eighth crown in as many different weight classes against Margarito.
"Well, first of all, let's not rush. Because we don't know how it's going to end up between Don King and Floyd Mayweather. But if King ultimately becomes the promoter of Floyd Mayeather, my prediction is -- and without of the all of the stern drama that we went through the last two times -- that Don King and I would be able to put together the match," said Arum.
"I mean, you don't understand that dealing with this the first time, with these Golden Boy people, what they put us through," said Arum. "These nonsense points. Like whose banner you're going to wear. Crap that King and I don't give a damn about."
King told The Times that Mayweather hasn't signed anything that allows him to negotiate his next fight.
"I'm just happy to be seeing [Mayweather]. He came out last week [to Florida] because he said he wanted to talk, and I'm hoping we'll get it together. Me and Arum can do this fight with Pacquiao in a flash. He'll [Floyd] say it to me on his own when he wants, 'Everybody's talking about this Pacquiao fight,' and I'll tell him, 'Yes, we can do this, that and the other,' " said King.
"He can bring it up himself. I'm just waiting, being very patient. The power of understanding people is important," said King. "I believe he can make the most money with me, because we'll show his dignity and pride, and stop people from throwing stones at him."
Arum is enthusiastic about the possibilities of old school negotiating.
"It's always great if you're dealing, to deal with another professional," said Arum. "Whatever you say about Don King, Don King is a true professional."
credits: boxing.fanhouse.com
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