Arum in GenSan, meets Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – Top Rank chief Bob Arum arrived in General Santos City Friday to sit down with WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, and find out what the future holds between them.

Arum arrived on board a private jet, and according to a Team Pacquiao insider, the 86-year-old promoter was in a meeting with the fighting senator as of presstime.

The relationship between Pacquiao and Arum seemed to have turned sour since the Filipino superstar lost to Australian Jeff Horn in July last year.

But although Pacquiao promoted his own fight against Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur last July 15, in partnership with Golden Boy, he did not totally burn the bridge with Arum.

Pacquiao let Top Rank handle the broadcasting of the fight in the United States.

Arum is in town to discuss matters with Pacquiao, who announced on social media last month that MP Promotions “will be handling any and all negotiations for my next fight.”

It may be a hint that he is cutting his promoter-and-boxer ties with Top Rank.

The legendary promoter is here to hear it straight from Pacquiao, on where he stands as far as the latter’s boxing career is concerned.

Pacquiao scored a sensational seventh-round TKO win over Matthysse at the Axiata Arena, and posted his first stoppage win in nearly eight years.

He took away the WBA welterweight crown from the Argentine, and put himself back in the limelight, erasing serious doubts on his future as a boxer.

Big fights await Pacquiao after his victory over Matthysse, and they include those against Arum’s fighters, WBA lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko and WBO welterweight king Terence Crawford.

With the snap of a finger, Arum can make either fight happen before the year ends.

But he has to be sure he’s on the same page with Pacquiao.