GL: What's the latest and greatest Bobfather? "Sunday was one of the most eventful days of the last few years. My Giants came through and they beat the Dallas Cowboys to go into the NFC Championship game and I'm still exhilerated."

GL: The Pacquiao-Marquez fight is now official, can you give us some thoughts on it?

Bob Arum: "I must say I'm really surprised that tickets are going much, much quicker than for any Pacquiao fight that I've handled. More than 80% of the tickets are gone and sold and the fight will be sold out a month out from the event.

GL: There's been a lot of rumors about April 26 and Miguel Cotto possibly fighting Alfonso Gomez with Margarito-Judah on the same card in Atlantic City, what can you tell us about that?

BA: "I met with Zab and his father today. They were both in Las Vegas. Zab is living in Vegas and we had a very pleasant and nice discussion and we're going to announce Zab's plans when they're formulated. That will be within the next couple of weeks. We're not limiting Zab to fight Margarito."

GL: Who will Cotto be fighting on April 26?

BA: "We're going to be discussing that. We owe HBO one more fight and we're going to sit and talk with HBO and then we're going to make a decision."

GL: Is Alfonso Gomez a possibility for Cotto?

BA: "Yes it's a possibilties, it's a number of possibilities, but we have to talk with HBO."

GL: Kermit Cintron made it clear that he wants to unify titles with Cotto on April 26.

BA: "We have a problem there and the problem there is Joshua Clottey, who we represent. Clottey won an eliminator and Clottey wants us to enforce his right to fight Cintron. We're not going to ahead with Cintron in any fight other than Joshua Clottey. Cotto would love to fight Cintron, but he has to beat Clottey first or give up the title, that he can do. But I can't put myself in a position where, in order to make a Cotto-Cintron fight without giving the short stick to Joshua Clottey."

GL: Cotto-Cintron makes the most sense as a unification bout, don't you think Clottey would accept step aside money if he were guaranteed the winner?

BA: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean guaranteed the winner? Cotto would have to agree to that."

GL: If Cotto would win unification bout against Cintron and want to keep the IBF title he'd have to fight Clottey next.

BA: "He would probably give up the IBF title because he doesn't want it anyway."

GL: Would you make Cotto-Cintron on the condition that Cintron vacated?

BA: "If Kermit Cintron decided to vacate his title and had no obligation to Joshua Clottey, of course we would consider it."

GL: Considering it and making it are two different things. You can't expect him to vacate if he's not guaranteed the fight.

BA: "If we can make a fight with him and Cotto and the money is right and he's prepared vacate the title once a contract is signed, thus giving Joshua Clottey the opportunity to fight for a vacant title. If he's prepared to do that we might be in business, if not there's nothing to talk about."

GL: Is Alfonso Gomez the caliber of fighter that fans want to see Cotto in there with?

BA: "We want to keep Cotto in there as often as possible. I want him to fight three if not four times in 2008. All of these guys are going to end up with the same result against Cotto."

GL: Will Cotto face the winner of the potential Margarito-Judah fight in his next fight?

BA: "That's a possibility or I could match Cotto with Margarito. I'm looking to match Cotto with Margarito in July on PPV."

GL: Closing thoughts?

BA: "We're coming very close to making a deal with the people in Macau. I look forward to do a super event in Macau in the last week of June. We're talking with the people from the Venetian as we speak. I'll also be meeting with the John Duddy people while I'm in New York to talk about the possibility of Pavlik and Duddy fighting at Madison Square Garden in June."

M

Send questions and comments to: boxingtalkg@yahoo.com