As every boxing fan is painfully aware of, the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has not happened yet. For years hardcore boxing fans and casual fans alike have been pleading for this fight with no reward in sight. Big time boxing fans recognize that fights arn't easy to make especially a fight between two of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Casual fans are less aware of the intricacies of making a big fight, but are still fed up with the constant prospect and then dissapointment of a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.
The first round of negotiations seemed to be the strongest, that is until Mayweather insisted on Olympic style random drug testing. To most everyone involved this request didn't seem that outlandish, especially since Mayweather had taken the stance earlier that all his future bouts would require Olympic style testing. For Pacquiao however the prospect of a blood test deemed to invasive. After being bashed by writers and fans alike for not agreeing to take the test Pacquiao relented. He agreed to do Olympic style drug testing but would only do a blood test a month before the fight, instead of the day before or day of the fight as Mayweather insisted.
The next round of negotiations were less sincere. Pacquiao's team was telling everyone that negotiations were underway and Mayweather was acting as if he had no idea what they were talking about. Eventually the sides did get together in a sense when Mayweather personally called Pacquiao to discuss the logistics of the fight. Pacquiao wanted a 50/50 split of the money while Mayweather took a much harder stance in flat out offering Pacquiao 40 million dollars. A sum that would be closer to the neighboorhood of a 60/40 split. Because of that disagreement about money the talks never really progressed into anything serious. Once again boxing fans were left to wonder what could be. Or if the fight would even take place while both fighters were still at the peek of their careers. Most of all boxing fans were fed up.
Then came September 20th. Pacquiao was on ESPN's First Take promoting his upcoming December bout against Juan Manuel Marquez when the usual questions of a fight with Floyd Mayweather came up. ESPN's Skip Bayless asked Pacquiao if he would give Mayweather 60% and take 40% to which Pacquiao replied "I told him I agree with 55% to 45%." When asked about the drug testing Pacquiao said that he would agree to whatever Mayweather wanted including being drug tested on the night of the fight.
This is very big news considering both sides have been so stubborn in the past. It could be a huge step forward in making the fight everone wants to see happen. However things are not as clear as they would have been a year ago if Pacquiao had said the same thing. First Pacquiao will have to beat Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8th, something that hasn't been easy for him to do in their three previous fights. And Mayweather's future is still completley up on the air. Since being released from jail there has been little talk of who Mayweather will fight next, or even when we will see him in the ring again. So even if Pacquiao beats Juan Manuel Marquez fans will still have to use a wait and see attitude. Hopefully the sport which has been so ridiculed recently will make this fight happen and silence all the critics. My personal prediction is that we see Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in October or November of 2013.
The first round of negotiations seemed to be the strongest, that is until Mayweather insisted on Olympic style random drug testing. To most everyone involved this request didn't seem that outlandish, especially since Mayweather had taken the stance earlier that all his future bouts would require Olympic style testing. For Pacquiao however the prospect of a blood test deemed to invasive. After being bashed by writers and fans alike for not agreeing to take the test Pacquiao relented. He agreed to do Olympic style drug testing but would only do a blood test a month before the fight, instead of the day before or day of the fight as Mayweather insisted.
The next round of negotiations were less sincere. Pacquiao's team was telling everyone that negotiations were underway and Mayweather was acting as if he had no idea what they were talking about. Eventually the sides did get together in a sense when Mayweather personally called Pacquiao to discuss the logistics of the fight. Pacquiao wanted a 50/50 split of the money while Mayweather took a much harder stance in flat out offering Pacquiao 40 million dollars. A sum that would be closer to the neighboorhood of a 60/40 split. Because of that disagreement about money the talks never really progressed into anything serious. Once again boxing fans were left to wonder what could be. Or if the fight would even take place while both fighters were still at the peek of their careers. Most of all boxing fans were fed up.
Then came September 20th. Pacquiao was on ESPN's First Take promoting his upcoming December bout against Juan Manuel Marquez when the usual questions of a fight with Floyd Mayweather came up. ESPN's Skip Bayless asked Pacquiao if he would give Mayweather 60% and take 40% to which Pacquiao replied "I told him I agree with 55% to 45%." When asked about the drug testing Pacquiao said that he would agree to whatever Mayweather wanted including being drug tested on the night of the fight.
This is very big news considering both sides have been so stubborn in the past. It could be a huge step forward in making the fight everone wants to see happen. However things are not as clear as they would have been a year ago if Pacquiao had said the same thing. First Pacquiao will have to beat Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8th, something that hasn't been easy for him to do in their three previous fights. And Mayweather's future is still completley up on the air. Since being released from jail there has been little talk of who Mayweather will fight next, or even when we will see him in the ring again. So even if Pacquiao beats Juan Manuel Marquez fans will still have to use a wait and see attitude. Hopefully the sport which has been so ridiculed recently will make this fight happen and silence all the critics. My personal prediction is that we see Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in October or November of 2013.
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