HBO/Time Warner holds up superfight
This pundit and others have been over what is known about negotiations and speculated on what the hold-up could be, and which fighter is responsible for it. More often the finger has been pointed at Floyd Mayweather, who both Pacquiao and Bob Arum of Top Rank have accused of refusing to sign a perfectly good contract.
But Mayweather denies there’s a perfectly good contract waiting for him and claims the Pacquiao camp is engaging in hype, and deceit. He says he wants to sign and will sign as soon as the contract is straightened out. But he hasn’t told us what still needs to be done and news organizations have tried to find out with very little success.
But David Mayo of mlive.com may have the answer. He says the broadcaster Mayweather is signed to, Showtime/CBS for another year, is pursuing a contract in earnest, that despite knowing it would have to share broadcasting rights with HBO/Time Warner. Naturally HBO/Time Warner would prefer the fight on its own, no one to share what should be massive profits with, so that broadcasting entity is dragging its heels, Mayo suggests, planning to scuttle a 2015 fight and get the rights to broadcast a 2016 fight.
“One major sticking point remains,” Mayo writes. “That Time Warner/HBO, for now, still seems to want to make the fight that is best for boxing, but in 2016, when Mayweather could be a television free agent and the two subscription networks might not have to work together on the fight.
“What we know this week is precisely what we knew last week, that the two networks are not equally motivated, that CBS/Showtime is working earnestly at Mayweather’s behest and in its own contractual interest to find an agreement, and that plenty of people have come to question whether Time Warner/HBO is doing the same.”
Mayweather – Pacquiao fight now
Under this scenario it is Pacquiao who must light a fire under his broadcaster and, in a manner of speaking, is the fighter whose camp is holding up the contract. Mayweather may be pushing for this year instead of next as surely he feels loyalty to Showtime/CBS and would prefer their involvement.
Given the ages of these fighters, Pacquiao is 36 and Mayweather 37, time is of the essence. They are no longer in their prime. Indeed, Pacquiao is 57-5-2 but just 3-2 in his last five fights while Mayweather is of course undefeated at 47-0 but recently had his nearest loss when he fought Marcos Maidana for the first time. Mayweather has also said he will retire after 2015.
Do boxing fans, yourself included, this writer included, give a tinkers damn about who winds up broadcasting a bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao? No, we do not. We just want to see it happen. And we are aware that if the broadcaster’s don’t get it together this time then it may never happen.
