Malignaggi: Pacquiao’s side knows he can’t beat Mayweather

By Boxing News - 12/09/2014 - Comments

pac89898By Chris Williams: Showtime analyst Paulie Malignaggi believes that the main reason why Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) and his team have been dragging their feet in the negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr (47-0, 26 KOs) in the past is because they feel that it’s a fight that they can’t win.

Malignaggi says that with Mayweather being the A-side and Pacquiao clearly being the B-side in the negotiations then Pacquiao and his team should be willing to agree to whatever terms that Mayweather lays out. In other words, if Pacquiao and his team really wants the fight against Mayweather then they should be willing to accept the deal that’s offered to them.

Malignaggi notes that Pacquiao won’t get a great deal, but then again he doesn’t deserve a great deal considering that he’s now bringing in one-third of the pay-per-view numbers that Mayweather is bringing in.

If Pacquiao wants a better deal, then he needs to beat Mayweather and then get a better deal in the rematch when they start negotiations. But Malignaggi feels that Pacquiao’s team isn’t confident in his chances against Mayweather, which is why he feels they want more money than they as the B-side deserve.

“You cannot tell me Mayweather is not the A side in this fight. He’s undefeated, he’s been a champion longer, and he hasn’t been knocked out obviously because he’s undefeated,” Malignaggi said via thaboxingvoice. “Pacquiao in this case is delivered as the B side. When you’re the B side you come in as the underdog. You have no say in the negotiations. You take what they give you, and you sign the contract. Floyd is the A side, he calls the shots. They are so adamant about [Mayweather’s demands] because they know they won’t win the fight, and it won’t be competitive.”

I totally agree with Malignaggi. Pacquiao and his team should be willing to agree to whatever purse split that Mayweather offers in order for them to get the fight. If Mayweather offers a 70-30 or 75-25 purse split, then Pacquiao and his team should be open to accepting those terms if they want the fight. With Mayweather bringing in the bigger pay-per-view numbers recently and with him having the unbeaten record, he’s clearly the A-side in the negotiations. He doesn’t really need to face Pacquiao unless he’s getting the lion’s share of the money. But if Pacquiao’s management are going to try and hold out for a better deal then I don’t see how the fight can get made, because Mayweather understands that he’s the A-side and he’s not likely to accept a 60-40 purse split or better for a fight against Pacquiao. The two fighters appear to be going in different directions right now with Pacquiao’s pay-per-view numbers sliding and Mayweather’s remaining strong.



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