WBC President Jose Sulaimán responds to an insult from Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, who following the outcome of the trilogy bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, called the sanctioning head an *sshole. Arum was upset with some of Sulaiman's pre-fight comments. Sulaiman felt the trilogy bout was a mismatch because Marquez was 38-years-old and moving up in weight by nearly two divisions to face Pacquiao. Instead, the judges at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas saw a close twelve round majority decision win for Pacquiao, although there are many people out there who scored the fight in favor of Marquez.
By Jose Sulaiman
Promoter Arum insulted me in the press with a swear that I wouldn’t dare to type out of respect, especially to women. I think of Bob Arum as one of the greatest promoters that my eyes have ever seen, but I also think he has no class, has no idea of what a gentleman is, and if he would be subjected to open heart surgery, the doctors would find no heart. I have tried all my life to be his friend, and have always supported him especially during his rough times, but unfortunately, he does not know either the meaning of that word [friend]. He just can’t help it.
Arum selected Juan Manuel Márquez because he thought he wasn't a threat to Manny Pacquiao, his multi-billion ace. I also believed, as a boxing fan, that Marquez, because of his age, was not going to beat Pacquiao. But Marquez proved Arum and myself wrong, as he might not have beaten him for some, but he did not lose either. I am happy to accept [being wrong] as it was a competitive fight and it was good for boxing. Arum is also trying to sign the rematch, with his extraordinary sensitivity and keen perception and smell of where the love of his life is, the color green. If he is really interested, it has to be in Mexico and nowhere else.
About 40 years ago, the immortal promoter George Parnassus told me : “José, if some day the Atomic bomb destroys the world and only Robert Arum and you remain on earth......don’t you dare to give him your back. Perhaps it took me this long to understand what my hero George Parnassus meant.