There are a lot of boxing heavyweights who have a stake in whether or not Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. actually ever get into the ring against one another. After all, everyone from Bob Arum to Leonard Ellerbe to Michael Koncz to Todd DuBoef to Ken Hershman all stand to profit not only if these guys eventually do their thing – but depending on when the bout happens as well.
Amazingly enough, though, the person who may have the largest say in whether or not the biggest fight of the decade happens may not be any of those Sweet Science power players. It may wind up being someone whose resume is a lot shorter and whose interest in what ultimately ends up transpiring is a lot more heartfelt and genuine.
Who could this potential miracle worker be? Pacquiao introduced him to the world last Thursday during a news conference regarding his upcoming June 9 bout versus Timothy Bradley.
"My oldest kid (Emmanuel Jr.) is 11 years old and he said, 'Daddy, I want you to retire, but before you retire I have one request. You fight Mayweather, you beat him and then you retire,'" Pacquiao told the press (via GMA).
“I want that fight to happen," admitted Pacquiao.
Given all the times that Pacquiao and Mayweather have disappointed boxing fans in the recent past, you don’t really want to give them the benefit of the doubt here. That being said, it’s hard not to get a little hopeful. Pacquiao noting that his son has a vested interest in what happens changes things. It’s far more motivating to have your little boy nudging you in the direction of a prospective bout than it is when the money-hungry leeches that run your career do it.
We all know what the obstacle is at this point. Pacquiao wants a 50-50 purse split, and Mayweather for some reason refuses to give it to him. You have to figure that, at some point, though, the undefeated Mayweather will realize that he’s on the wrong side of this argument. There is zero justification for him to not give his Filipino arch rival an equal purse split. Sooner rather than later he’ll get that through his skull..maybe.
Because of the way things worked out to start the year, there is actually an opening in the second of half 2012 (read: November) for a dream match between Pacquiao and Mayweather to occur. Originally it looked as though Pacquiao would face off against the winner of Lamont Peterson versus Juan Manuel Marquez in November, but since that fight never got set up, the opportunity for an end-of-the-year superfight to happen is there.
Will the match actually happen this time? Tough to say. But if it does, we’ll know that we have little Emmanuel Jr. to thank for it.
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