De La Hoya and Arum Both Agree That Alvarez Should Be Fighting on Cinco De Mayo Weekend Not Mayweather

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    Bob-Arum-handshake-Oscar-de-la-Hoya-farinaIt seems like the more they talk about it, the less it’ll happen. Of course we’re talking about the big one, Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao.

    Mayweather spoke to Showtime on Friday night and declared he wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd, Cinco de Mayo weekend that Mayweather usually fights on. However, Canelo Alvarez who is Mexican wants a Mexican to fight on the Mexican date. The fight that is in talks for that weekend is Canelo Alvarez -Miguel Cotto.

    Seems like Canelo isn’t the only one in agreement about a Mexican headlining that date as Bob Arum weighed in and told RingTV he agrees with Canelo.

    “Let me tell you something, and this, I really feel very, very strongly about,” Arum said. “That weekend celebrates Cinco De Mayo, which is a Mexican holiday, which commemorates the outstanding, courageous stand of a lot of Mexican civilians who turned back the French Imperial army, and it’s a significant holiday in Mexico and among Mexican Americans who live in the United States. That being said, neither Mr. Mayweather, nor Mr. Pacquiao, nor Mr. Cotto, who is Hispanic, is not Mexican.”

    “The only Mexican in the group is Canelo Alvarez, who is a big attraction among the Mexican people. And to poach on that date, which is a Mexican holiday by non-Mexicans, shows a terrible disrespect for the Mexican people, both those living in Mexico and those living in the United States. And anybody who does the poaching ought to be ashamed of themselves. That goes for hotels and that goes for fighters and that goes for any of us. I’m willing to make that statement.”

    Maybe its posturing but the co-promoter for a possible bout with Cotto-Canelo is Oscar De La Hoya and he basically had the same sentiments.

    “Bob has promoted boxing for more than 50 years and understands the importance of the Mexican and Mexican-American fan. Canelo wants to take back the tradition and fight on Cinco De Mayo for his fans all over the world,” said De La Hoya.

    So it seems like the he said she said Mayweather-Pacquiao blame game is beginning again.