UP IN SMOKE? Arum Aims For Martinez-Chavez II In the Spring

Manny Pacquiao chats with promoter Bob Arum during a Wednesday press conference to hype the Dec. 8 Pacquiao-Marquez IV card, in Las Vegas. Arum told TSS before the event that he'd like a Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Sergio Martinez rematch to take place in the spring. (Ed Diller-Top Rank)

UPDATE: It looks like Julio Cesar Chavez tested positive for marijuana, so all plans might be changed. ESPN's Dan Rafael confirmed rumors that JCC tested positive, at 6:30 PM. A Top Rank spokesman offered me a “no comment” when I asked for confirmation before that.

Promoter Bob Arum chatted with TSS before the Pacquiao-Marquez press conference in NYC kicked off on Wednesday late morning. He said that he's aiming to put on a rematch between Julio Cesar Chavez and Sergio Martinez in the spring, in Las Vegas. He said he wanted to put the fight in Texas, but Martinez, who won a UD12 decision on Sept. 15 against the son of the legend, and had to scramble to clear his head after getting knocked down in round twelve, nixed Texas as the fightsite.

The promoter, who termed Junior's showing “pathetic” after Martinez dominated the vast majority of the middleweight tangle, reiterated that the kid had no gameplan, and that moving forward, he needs to have a proper, serious training camp. He did laud the kid for showing cajones, however. Trainer Freddie Roach told me that he should have clamped down on Junior from the start, when he blew off a training session, and said that next go round, he will step away the minute Junior blows off training.

1 to 10, how hard did he train? “3,” Roach said. He said Junior wanted to be fresh for the fight, and mostly concentrated on making weight. “For some reason he wanted to be the boss, and that's what happened,” he said. “I thought we lost 11 rounds and we won one, and I'm not really satisfied with that,” he said. He said the kid came thisclose to the greatest comeback of all time.

For fans who say there is no cause for a rematch, Arum told me these people are probably not Hispanics. He said probably 80% of the PPV buys came from Hispanics, and he said anglos were welcome to watch UFC, or whatever else they wanted. The promoter said Martinez would make more money from a rematch with Chavez than a fight with Miguel Cotto. Same thing for a Martinez-Mayweather fight–Arum said Martinez would get more fighting Chavez again. And if Team Martinez wants a 50-50 split? Arum said he considers Martinez' promoter Lou DiBella and advisor Sampson Lewkowicz smart and reasonable people, and he is confident they can work out terms.

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