Mayweather-Pacquiao Will Probably Never Happen!
PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER IS NOW MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO
San Francisco, CA– For over two and a half years now we have been chasing the possibility of what once was a “Dream” fight between Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao and America’s premier fighter Floyd Mayweather. It was going to be the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier and Roberto Duran-Ray Leonard match of the new millennium.
THREE YEARS HAVE NOW ELAPSED!
In a couple of months it will mark three years since the fight was first bantered about. There was a period of time where that’s all boxing fans were talking about. Some 33 months later a few “die hards” still give a hoot, but the “casual” sports fan has in computer lingo, “put it in the trash.”
ONE-TIME MEGA FIGHT HAS LOST THE LUSTER
Once the most anticipated bout in many, many years, now a few Filipino’s and a handful of Floyd fans will still bring it up. Somebody asked me if the fight were it to materialize today would it have the appeal that it once had? My two letter one-word response was “No.”
FIGHT WAS ON EVERYBODY’S MIND!
When this match between Pacquiao and Mayweather was first announced, people were putting money away anticipating tickets going on sale. After all, the unbeaten Mayweather had signed off on the bout and that includes the clause that Manny had stuck in the contract that Floyd would give up millions of dollars were he not to make the 147 lb. welterweight limit.
MANNY PLAYED HIS CARD BUT BALKED AT FLOYD’S CARD
With Floyd on board, he like Manny had one issue that he inserted into the agreed upon match was having Manny adhere to “random Olympic” style drug testing. That is where the negotiations ended and the fight was scrapped. Pacquiao who had started his career at 107 and has beaten guys as big as 150 lbs., and all the while never putting on an ounce of fat. That and his Superman-like performances had more people than Mayweather thinking he was possibly taking Performance Enhancing Drugs.
PACQUIAO LET “OPPORTUNITY” OF LIFETIME GET AWAY!
Instead of facing Mayweather in March 2010, it was the seemingly “handcuffed” and shameless Joshua Clottey who would do a 12-round dance with Pacquiao. Since then, his performances have dropped off the chart considerably. The Shane Mosley fight was nothing to brag about, nor was facing the weight drained Mexican bandito Antonio “The Cheat” Margarito. The Juan Manuel Marquez decision of late last year was thought of as “wrong” by a vast majority of both fans and media alike.
THE BRADLEY FIGHT MANNY SHOULD’VE NEVER TOOK
This Look Like A Man Ready For Mayweather?
A majority of these same pundits that had Manny losing to Marquez, thought he beat Tim Bradley in June, only to get the short end of a Las Vegas decision in a close encounter. Out of shape and gasping for air like an asthmatic sans an inhaler, Manny regressed to the days when he was a “one-armed” bandit and threw primarily left hand leads from his southpaw stance.
MANNY IS A MAN WITH FEW “REAL” OPTIONS
Here we are three months later and Pacquiao is in a quandary of sorts. The Mayweather fight ain’t going to happen unless Pacquiao, who let his stock value drop, no plummet since December 2009, takes considerably less money that Floyd. As Mayweather has stated, 50-50 is out the window as he is leaning more towards 70-30 or 65-35.
GUT FEELINGS AND THE NUMBERS FIGHT COULD’VE GOTTEN!
If Manny got a 55-45 would be like God Sent. 60-40 would be ideal. It’s only 10% and if Manny were to whip Floyd, he’d make it on the backside (rematch) and if they were to push a pay per view through the roof it would amount to stuffing both men’s pockets. It once one have done 3,000,000 pay per views at an average $50 would’ve meant a $150 million domestically which is split 50-50 by the cable network and the promoter.
NO REASON TO AVOID PACQUIAO OF 2012
Some are saying Mayweather is throwing those numbers out there in order to avoid a fight or that is scared of Pacquiao. Any “sane” person that feels that way needs a psychiatric evaluation as that is completely ludicrous. Not only did Manny roll “snake eyes” with Bradley, the mighty Filipino has looked less stellar in each fight starting with Clottey.
MANNY’S PIPES SPRUNG MANY LEAKS!
He showed Titanic-like leaks against Marquez, was “ordinary” except for one knockdown with Mosley, Margarito was so “dead” at the weight that all he really was a guy impersonating the Mexican fighter who was caught trying to “load” his hand wraps with plaster of Paris-like pads. The Marquez fight, well we’ve discussed that and his being less than 100% physically in my mind cost Manny the Bradley affair.
MANNY WAS HOLDING THE CARDS AT ONE POINT!
When this fight was originally being talked up, Manny Pacquiao had the upper hand seeing he was active, Floyd was not. During Floyd’s self imposed hiatus from boxing, Pacquiao became the centerpiece of boxing and his negotiating power was at an all time high. Whoever it was that advised Manny not to take the random drug testing essentially ruined his career.
MANNY’S CHANCES ARE “SLIM & NONE” AGAINST FLOYD
And as Don King says, “Slim just left town.” If you look at Pacquiao’s last two fights while at the same time objectively view Floyd’s last two ring encounters, you have to, unless you’re on drugs, admit that Pacquiao has little chance of beating Mayweather. It’s just not in the cards as speed kills. Maybe a Gypsy palm reader on the Atlantic City boardwalk could come up with such a conclusion.
BLAME ARUM, MANNY’S EGO, SOMEBODY ON TEAM PAC ERRED!
People are quick to point the finger at promoter Bob Arum, who has Pacquiao under contract. They say that his disdain for Mayweather is so immense that he prefer the fight never happen. Why? Because Floyd will do everything he can do to Arum with the exception of making Bob “toss his salad” (Chris Rock quote). Bob, not even for the money, not at his age would be willing to let Floyd call the shots over him.
WHILE MANNY MAY BOW TO FLOYD, ARUM NEVER WILL!
Mayweather got away from Arum and has become the hottest ticket in boxing without Massa’ Bob. Arum realizes that he will have to adhere to Floyd’s demands something he is not willing to do regardless of how much money is involved. Unfortunately, Manny Pacquiao is in the middle of this “battle of egos” and in the end is the only real loser.
MAYWEATHER’S PAYDAYS TRUMP PACQUIAO’S
Floyd will continue to dwarf Pacquiao when it comes to making money. In a poll I conducted months ago, the majority of those questioned saw Pacquiao’s reluctance to take “random” drug testing as a way of “avoiding” Mayweather. Based on his last two fights against Marquez and Bradley, can you blame Floyd for not wanting to fight a guy that he will outclass, and if given the opportunity, humiliate both Pacquiao, Arum and an entire country in the Philippines as well?
MANNY HAD HIS CHANCE FOR FINANCIAL EQUALITY
Having pissed away his “upper hand” in negotiating a fight with Mayweather in late 2009, early 2010, and then looking mediocre in subsequent fights, Manny Pacquiao has no one to blame but himself. As for Mayweather, he’s a jerk, no question about it. But right now, Mayweather holds the deck and if Manny wants to play cards with Mayweather, it will be at Floyd’s whim.
POINT THE BLAME FINGER WHERE IT BELONGS!
In closing, Manny screwed himself, the Filipino fans, and the rest of the boxing populace when he refused to take the drug tests. When he finally said he would take the tests, he hemmed and hawed over how they would be conducted, etc. In the meantime Floyd Mayweather raised his stock value while Manny’s declined significantly. With the humiliation that will come with losing to Floyd, Manny will more than likely fight two or three “nothing” types and retire from boxing.
Pedro Fernandez