That much is clear after the Top Rank founder spoke to the president of the Philippines senate, where Pacquiao serves office, and found dates where there will be recess.
Pacquiao, 37, said via Facebook on Tuesday that he would abandon his duties for any period of time to fight, and that camp would be set up in his home country. Usually, the future Hall of Famer will train part of the time in Hollywood with Freddie Roach.
After Arum finalizes the date and site — it will be in Las Vegas but Arum must find out which arena is available on the determined date — the opponent could be announced as early as the week after the July 23 HBO PPV fight Top Rank is promoting between 140-pounders Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol.
That’s because the winner of the junior welterweight unification title matchup is being heavily considered to face Pacquiao (who campaigns at 147 pounds). The other candidate? Welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas. Arum told USA TODAY Sports that one of those three men (he promotes them all) will draw the assignment.
“If Manny wants to win a world title, Jessie Vargas, whose head isn’t up his ass as far as the money, he realizes what is realistic money on pay-per-view now, which isn’t what it was before,” Arum said. ” … Hopefuly this coming week we’ll have a solid date and venue and then we’ll announce an opponent and be off and running. But Manny is definitely coming back.”
Arum conceded that Adrien Broner (who is a PBC fighter) was the first choice, but that the brash 26-year-old simply asked for too much money. Broner would likely outperform the three options being considered now in terms of PPV sales. He is known to casual fans due to his antics and is regularly featured on TMZ.
“I can’t afford what Broner is asking. Neither can Manny,” Arum said. Broner’s position is how valuable it is on pay-per-view and maybe he is but i can’t take that risk and neither can manny. We looked to give him a very good upside (of the PPV sales). He wants a very unreasonable guarantee and I  can’t pay it and Manny can’t take that risk.
“I won’t say that Broner is right or wrong. That’s his position. It’s business. I used the word priced himself out and that’s the wrong word because that assumes he didn’t want the fight. I don’t know.”
Arum hasn’t done business with Al Haymon (who manages Broner) since the Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather mega fight in May 2015. Before that, he hadn’t worked with him in quite some time.
But Arum and Haymon recently settled an antitrust lawsuit Top Rank filed and the 84-year-old says they will work together to make fights.
Haymon controls most of the best 147-pounders in the world. One of his fighters, titleholder Danny Garcia, told USA TODAY Sports on Friday that he was offered the Pacquiao bout for “$3 or 4 million” but Arum says that is patently untrue.
“I never talked to Danny Garcia or anybody connected with Danny Garcia. So I don’t know what the (expletive) he’s talking about,” Arum snapped. “It’s like mental masturbation. It really is. I guess they’re desperate to get an article written about them, I don’t know.
“I’ve never even talked to Danny or his father (and trainer Angel), or anyone connected with them. The only thing I discussed with Haymon was Broner.”
Pacquiao outclassed Timothy Bradley in an April welterweight bout then announced his retirement to focus on politics. That retirement will be short-lived.