Here is what we know for certain: we know that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has to go to jail for 90 days beginning on June 1. We know that he desperately wants to schedule a big fight for May, right before he has to go in. We know that he says he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao. We know that Pacquiao has, supposedly, chased a fight with Mayweather for over a year. We know that this could be the biggest bout in boxing history. We know that fans have been salivating over the prospect of this match for over two years.
And yet, despite everything, we also know that we are no closer to having the pair fight today than we were two years ago when murmurs started about how this fight was “inevitable.”
It’s mind-boggling that we’re still sitting here, praying that this match will happen – but here we are.
On Monday, WBO President Francisco "Paco" Varcarcel dropped a bomb on Pacquiao vs. Mayweather happening in May when he said this to Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene:
"I was told by Bob Arum that Pacquiao would fight in June, not in May," Varcarcel said.
The fact of the matter is, of course, that Mayweather can’t fight in June. His jail stint begins on the first of the month and takes him out of commission for 90 days. That means he will fight someone else in May, go in, and not even be able to entertain the thought of taking on his Filipino arch rival until November of this year.
November.
It’s crazy that Pacquiao and Arum insist on playing this ridiculous game. Mayweather is no saint, and he deserves his fair share of blame for this fight not happening up to this point. But Pacquiao is different. Pacquiao is supposed to be the people’s champ. He's supposed to be the mature one who doesn’t resort to the type of childish, self-absorbed tactics that have made Mayweather into boxing’s biggest villain. He knows the public wants this match. He knows that his word supersedes Arum’s greedy two cents worth. And yet here he is – idly sitting by and doing nothing as this fight passes us all by.
This is the reality of the situation: it was okay for mid-November to be a projected fight date for these two when it had to be that way. When Mayweather was due to be in jail and the fight simply couldn’t happen earlier, November was simply the best available option. But there are better options available now. And if these two aren’t able to come to a consensus agreement at this point, there is a very good chance that they never will.
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