Arum pays tribute to Filipino boxers
Filipino Boxers
November 19, 2012
Bob Arum and his prized boxers, Manny Pacquiao, seated left, and Juan Manuel Marquez, at podium. The two fight again on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. Credits: Getty Images
"So they're becoming one of the most important countries for boxing in the entire world..." - Bob Arum, Top Rank
Bob Arum of Top Rank, considered the world's top boxing promoter, has praised the Philippines as the leading producer of the best boxers in the world today.
"So they're becoming one of the most important countries for boxing in the entire world," Arum said, commenting on a forthcoming bout featuring Filipino Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.
On the same fight card of Pacquiao-Marquez IV on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas are two other rising Filipino boxers - Michael Farenas and Mercito Gesta.
Farenas, who has won seven of his last eight bouts, will go up against former featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, 16 knockouts).
The 28-year old Farenas, a southpaw, and two years younger than Gamboa, has 34 wins, 26 by knockouts, three draws and four loses.
Gesta, an undefeated southpaw, fights Miguel Vazquez of Mexico, the lightweight titleholder.
The lineup also includes a clash of unbeaten featherweights Javier Fortuna and Patrick Hyland.
"It's going to be a great night for the Filipino boxing fans, not only with Pacquiao, but now, with Gesta and Farenas," Arum told Ringtv.com.
Arum's praise for Filipino boxers is self-congratulatory, in a sense. His other Filipino boxer, Filipino-American junior featherweight champion Nonito Donaire, is making an HBO-televised Dec. 15 defense against Jorge Arce.
He has been successful in promoting Filipino and Filipino-American boxers and is a familiar figure in Manila and among Filipino newsmen and boxing fans.
The Pacquiao-Marquez Dec. 8 fight is the fourth encounter between the two boxers.
In November, Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) won an unpopular and disputed majority decision over Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs).
They also have fought to a draw and Pacquiao a won a split-decision over Marquez that Marquez' camp claimed they have won. All fights have been close and could have gone either way.
It will be Pacquiao's first bout since losing a controversial split-decision to Tim Bradley to lose his WBO welterweight crown in June.
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