Boxing’s best pound for pound fighters
The boxing official, who asked the Times not to reveal his name as he is not authorized to talk about the negotiations, told the newspaper that we may not be far off from an actual deal being signed, sealed, and delivered to the boxing world. He said it could happen in “seven to 10 days.”
It is being hailed as boxing’s superfight and will surely be the richest in the history of the sport. Boxing fans have clamored for this bout as each fighter has some right to call himself the greatest pound for pound fighter ever and this match could finally decide it one way or the other.
This fight is so anticipated that Wikipedia has a site devoted to just it, titled, naturally, ‘Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.’ One of the things pointed out on the site is that the failure of the two sides to come together and agree to fight four years ago was “…named The Ring magazine ‘Event of the Year’ for 2010.”
Boxing hype from both camps
In classic boxing hype, the two fighters have goaded and taken shots at one another in interviews and on social media during the past months, indeed since 2009 when all manner of obstacles got in their way. Now each, Pacquiao, 57-5-2, at 36, and Mayweather, 47-0, at 37, is nearing the end of their professional boxing career and nearing the end of their ability to command millions and millions of dollars.
They know there isn’t much more time.
The boxing official who has spoken about the negotiations between Mayweather’s people and Pacquiao’s people said that money and a date are at the forefront of the negotiations. The kind of drug tests that would be administered has already been agreed upon, he said.
The source said that Mayweather, who commands the biggest Pay Per View audience of any fighter, has asked that the split be 60-40 in his favor, and that Pacquiao looks to be willing to agree to that. There has been of late word from the Mayweather camp that they want to fight in Las Vegas on May 2, but Pacquiao’s manager, Bob Arum, is on record as saying that date is not acceptable.
Date of Mayweather – Pacquiao fight
The boxing official said the date is still being discussed but that the venue and city, MGM Grand in Las Vegas, have been agreed upon. The televising details are also being worked upon, with a likelihood Showtime, who have Mayweather under contract, and HBO, who Pacquiao has a deal with, will televise the battle jointly.
Others who have said this fight will happen of late include none other than Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao’s trainer. Further, each of the boxer’s have expressed a desire to fight the other. Could it turn into a three-bout card, with one winning, a rematch, the other winning, and a third fight?
That is getting ahead of the game, for now it’s enough to know that boxing fans are almost certain to get one of the longest anticipated bouts in the sport’s history. Whether you call it Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao or Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, it should be a boxing dandy.
