By Byron Wallin: During the last few years, boxing sites and magazines all over the world have been inundated with articles regarding what is potentially the biggest fight in boxing history. Present and former pound for pound Kings Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather (41-0 25 KOs) and Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao (53-3-2 38 KOs) find themselves in the rare and what should be privileged position of being regarded as both the best and most popular boxers in the world today.

Furthermore, both these men are currently campaigning in the same weight division. All this information has culminated in a frenzy of excitement around the world from hardcore boxing fanatics, to those who are just casual sports fans. It seemed to everyone that this was a fight that had to be made, and indeed would be.

Fast forward what is now a few years, time enough for a great trilogy of fights to have been fought making millions of dollars for all involved and raising the profile of boxing to new heights, attracting new fans and perhaps bringing back those who had turned their backs on their once favourite sport due to its degradation over the past decade. Instead, was has ensued has made a mockery of boxing. I will not go into the details of the allegations that have been made by both parties as they have been documented thoroughly and frequently. While many blame Mayweather Jr for the fight not transpiring (I personally do credit him with the larger portion of blame) I do not believe that the squeaky clean, all around good guy that is Pacquiao is entirely innocent in the matter.

There was a time when boxers craved, dreamt, lived and breathed to fight the best so that they might show the world and within themselves know that were the greatest in their division, let alone the world or possibly ever. Muhammad Ali practically forced Sonny Liston into fighting him, constantly hounding the Champ, calling him out, talking trash about him and even going to his house to demand a fight. Now we have Mayweather Jr talking trash so that he does not have to fight, ironic don’t you think? Likewise Pacquiao’s only means to enhance his already tremendous legacy and perhaps claim his stake in the argument for greatest of all time, is to defeat Mayweather Jr. Why is Manny not using the wealth of multimedia devices that exist today to call out Mayweather Jr, to tell him he will take his ridiculous little test in order to vanquish him from the sport, that he will fight him anyplace, anytime anywhere, for free, as he surely doesn’t need the money? Can you imagine if Ali had access to youtube?!! People will counter argue this point, stating it’s about principal, that Manny should not be required to bow to Floyd’s demands. Well why not? What about the principals of boxing and its fans around the world who are being deprived of the fight they so strongly wish for? Can Manny not see the logic of taking a short term loss for the long term gain?

The conclusion I fear will be that this fight will never come to fruition and that if it does, it will be too late, one or both men will be out of their prime and therefore leave bait for arguments of questions left unanswered. In my opinion both men know that the other has the potential of defeating him, so instead choose to continue fighting men they know they will conquer, keeping their popularity and records safe, as well as their pockets full. Unlike the boxers of yesteryear, and the few gold dust fighters campaigning today, these men are not willing to risk it all on a coin toss.