For the first time, with absolutely no doubt, the world can say for certain that Floyd Mayweather Jr wants Manny Pacquiao.
During the past 2 years of speculation, public demand, law suits, claims and counter-claims, one thing was never truly known: Just how badly did Floyd want this fight? First he demanded random drug testing, Pacquiao declined and people accused Floyd of placing obstacles in the way of the fight. Then he walked away from boxing for over a year, again he was being ‘chicken’ in the eyes of many. Finally, he wanted the lion share of any potential purse with Pacquiao. Again, with $100m to be split, it seemed churlish to most for Floyd to squabble about a 50/50 cut. Another way out? To most, it appeared so. Mayweather was the one ducking the fight in the eyes of the public. We will never truly know if either man was ducking the other but earlier this week Mayweather laid his cards on the table once and for all.
For the first time ever, via Twitter, Floyd practically begged the Filipino to meet him in battle. The date is set at May 5th, the MGM Grand is booked, both fighters are available, Manny has agreed to the random drugs testing and both seem fine with a 50/50 split of a monumental purse. The biggest fight in boxing for the past 20 years is ready for launch providing Pacquiao can persuade his promoter Bob Arum to stop making excuses of his own and do the best for his fighter and sports fans around the world.
Since Mayweather’s tweet reverberated around the boxing world just 4 days ago Arum has gone on the offensive, producing numerous reasons explaining why the fight can’t take place at the MGM or on May 5th. They all appear weak and smack of desperation. Bob Arum alone is now the biggest obstacle in the way of this much anticipated event. However, say what you will about Bob Arum (and i could say many things), but he isn't stupid. He is a business man and Manny Pacquaio is his prized asset that must be protected at all costs to ensure the big bucks keep rolling in for the foreseeable future. He also, importantly, knows Floyd Mayweather very well (Arum promoted Floyd early in his career before a bitter break up some years back). And there you have the real reason for this fight still being in doubt.
Arum knows that the unbeaten Mayweather doesn’t take risks. Floyd can be as evasive outside the ropes as he regularly is inside them. With the possible exception of the Oscar de la Hoya fight back in 2007, Floyd hasn't put himself in any serious danger of losing a fight through his choice of opponent in years. The De la Hoya fight HAD to happen for Floyd in order to make him a cross over star and allow him to make tens of millions of dollars per fight. It was a calculated gamble that paid off. After his victory over the Golden Boy he became the undisputed face of boxing and a world wide star. Since then he has fought Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and Victor Ortiz. Hatton never stood a chance in anyone’s mind bar the partisan British public's. He was predictably dismantled by Mayweather’s superior skill set and even allowed Floyd to claim a rare knock out at welterweight. Marquez, wonderful fighter though he is, was coming up from lightweight and his style was perfectly made for Mayweather. He barely landed a glove on Floyd during 12 rounds of frustration and pain for the Mexican. Mosley, while still having some pop left, quickly ran out of gas, understandably so for a man approaching 40. He won one round. And Victor Ortiz had only ever had a puncher’s shot at victory. The skill discrepancy was so great that Ortiz resorted to using his head instead of his fists before 4 rounds we're even in the books.
It is fairly obvious then, that since Floyd became a mega star he takes few risks when it comes to selecting his opponents. He managed to avoid Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margraito as they ploughed through the welterweight division by going into 'retirement' and similarly there is no chance of him moving up to 154 to fight Sergio Martinez these days despite fans’ desire to see such a fight. He’s as smart outside the ring when it comes to boxing, as he is talented inside. So why, after 2 years of trying to avoid talking about the Pacquiao fight in public has Mayweather changed his tune?
In November Manny Pacquiao faced a 38 year old Juan Manuel Marquez who was fighting 2 weight classes above his natural weight. It was the third fight in a controversial trilogy between the two men and the one that would finally settle the score. The general consensus was that given Pacquiao’s rise through the weight classes over the past few years that he would prove how much he has evolved as a fighter and dismantle Marquez the way he had Cotto, Hatton and Margarito, much bigger men. The first two fights had ended in a draw and a split decision but now it was expected that Pacquiao would finish off Marquez once and for all. The only problem was that despite the weight and age advantages for Pacquiao, Marquez skills still allowed him to compete and (in most people's eyes but the judges) beat Manny just as he had in 2004 and 2008. At the end of the fight Pacquiao wore the look of a beaten man and in his post fight interviews he was not exactly talking up the possibility of a fight with Floyd in the way he had previously. Mayweather had probably made his mind up to finally fight Pacquiao by the time the final bell rang out in Vegas that night and here’s the simple reason why:
Marquez was so impressive against Pacquiao because of his style. He is one of the best counter punchers in recent memory and that alone allowed him to overcome the physical advantage that Pacquiao had. You know who is an exponentially better counter puncher than even the great Juan Manuel Marquez though? Floyd Mayweather. He’s also bigger, stronger and faster than Marquez as he demonstrated when he defeated the Mexican in an embarrassingly one sided shut out 3 years ago. If an aged Juan Manuel Marquez could make Manny Pacquiao look so ordinary imagine what Floyd Mayweather believes he will do to the Filipino.
On the back of his poor outing with Marquez, coupled with his lacklustre showing against an over the hill Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquaio is now the underdog in most experts eyes when it comes to facing Floyd whereas in the past it had been a 50/50 fight. Forget the hype, the squabbling, the negotiations. If this fight doesn’t happen it’s because Manny, Floyd and most importantly Bob Arum know that Manny Pacquiao doesn’t stand much more of a chance against Mayweather than the other 42 opponents on Floyd’s résumé did. If Arum and Team Pacquiao manage to wriggle out of the bout and deny us the chance to see the only true mega fight left in boxing, you can thank Juan Manuel Marquez for he showed us all what we had seemed to forget during the tedious Mayweather/Pacquiao circus: Styles make fights and Manny Pacquiao’s style won’t defeat Floyd Mayweather.
Over to you Mr. Arum.....
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