Arum: Manny gets rematch if Algieri wins

LOS ANGELES – Bob Arum has put up a safety net for Manny Pacquiao just in case something goes wrong or if he falls in Macau.

The Top Rank big boss said he made sure there’s a rematch clause in the fight contract of Pacquiao’s coming fight against the undefeated Chris Algieri on Nov. 23 at The Venetian Hotel.

“Manny’s fight is also a dangerous fight. Algieri is a determined guy. He’s very, very smart,” said Arum, who was in Carson, California for the recent fight between Nonito Donaire Jr. and Jamaica’s Nicholas Walters.

“He’s a terrific boxer,” said Arum of the undefeated Algieri.

Before the Donaire fight at the StubHub Center last Saturday, one that ended in favor of Walters, the legendary promoter said the rematch clause for the Pacquiao fight will only come to play if Algieri wins.

“Yes, there is,” said Arum, who hosted a private party in his Beverly Hills home Sunday evening.

“I put a rematch clause that if Algieri wins I could force a rematch,” said Arum.

“That’s if Manny is willing to do it,” he added.

Arum said there’s no guarantee that Pacquiao would win the fight, regardless of what the oddsmakers say in putting the undefeated pride of Huntington as the heavy underdog.

Arum said Algieri, a young boxer who wants to become a doctor one day, is no pushover.

There’s something different in Algieri, a well-educated person.

“He doesn’t get discouraged as he proved in the (Ruslan) Provodnikov fight,” said Arum, who flew out of Los Angeles Monday evening to take a look at Pacquiao.

Algieri, undefeated in 21 fights, stunned the heavily-favored Provodnikov last June to earn the right to face Pacquiao next.

From Manila, Arum was to take a connecting flight to General Santos City. On Friday, he will preside over a media day in General Santos City.

Based on the original plan, a horde of Chinese mediamen was to come to Manila to meet Pacquiao a month before the Filipino boxing icon fights for the second time in the former Portuguese colony.

But the Chinese couldn’t come.

“I think Manny has his work cut out for him. But according to Freddie (Roach), Manny is training hard for the fight,” he said.

That’s all Arum wants to hear.

“For the Donaire fight, there was no rematch clause. Both these fighters fight for Top Rank,” he said.

“But with the Algieri fight, Algieri is not under our promotions and I wanted to put it (rematch clause) in to be safe for Manny,” he added.

“You never know boxing,” Arum said.

In boxing, of course, anything can happen.