The problem with a bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming together is not that there isn’t enough money to go around, or some ridiculous moral stand on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). It’s not even the pervasive impacts that outside influences have on the two guys who ultimately decide when and if this fight happens.
No, the biggest problem when it comes to putting together a showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather is the fact that both sides are so amazingly out of touch with their own negotiations. To this day, shockingly, both fighters legitimately feel like the bout isn’t getting put together because of something that the other guy is doing.
Case in point: during a recent interview with the Telegraph (via IBT), Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer (an unapologetic Mayweather backer) said that a fight between his guy and Pacquiao would happen when “Pacquiao is ready to retire and has run out of other options." That sentiment, of course, implies that the Filipino champion is the problem and that Mayweather is simply waiting on him to come to his senses. It completely and totally ignores the fact that it’s Mayweather who refuses to give Pacquiao his fair share of money if the superfight were to happen.
Not that Pacquiao is any better.
In the months after his unfortunate showing versus Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao talked about wanting nothing more than a shot at his undefeated counterpart. He literally came out and said that he would sacrifice a huge portion of his purse split if it would secure a bout against Mayweather. Those were his words. So while it’s completely justifiable that he now laughs at the notion of not getting a 50-50 split against his arch rival should they fight, the idea that he doesn’t know where Mayweather’s ludicious offer is coming from is nonsense.
Pacquiao is the one that put taking less money out there.
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And therein lies the problem. Even though both Pacquiao and Mayweather have played a role in this fight not happening to date, all either side wants to do is blame the other. How can the problems these two have be resolved if neither guys is prepared to acknowledge any culpability?
Answer: they can’t.
We (the boxing-loving community) keep telling ourselves that there is no way this fight doesn’t happen. It’s just too big, and there is just too much at stake. Eventually, these guys have to come to their senses.
But given everything we’ve seen from Pacquiao and Mayweather thus far, do we really have grounds to be giving this pair that much credit? Yes, common sense says that this bout should eventually happen. Given that common sense apparently isn’t either guy’s strength, though, maybe that’s the wrong basis to be using to judge this matter.
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@ Santos Javier Cordero..Today is your day, you FOOL.
There Can Be Only One.
The biggest stumbling block came right out of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s mouth and spoke of Self-Preservation, and that he's alot older and wiser fighter who plans to avoid stronger fighters. (read this from other sport articles)..Purse issues is just another smoke screen. Floyd can make the same amount of money or even more by fighting 5 less stronger fighters through hyping and smart promoting fights and still keeps his ZERO when he retires. My 2cent..As much as I want this fight to happen I'am no longer in denial.
There Can Be Only One.