By Jason KIm: In a recent article at the Grand Rapids Press, unbeaten Floyd Mayweather’s comments about future drug testing as well as the purse split for a fight against Manny Pacquiao makes it look as if the fight will never be made. Mayweather, talking about Pacquiao, “I gave him a chance, up to 14 days out. But my new terms are all the way up to the fight. They can come get us whenever, all the way up to the fight, random drug tests. That’s what it is.” Mayweather’s March 13th fight against Pacquiao fell apart because Mayweather wanted random blood testing for performance enhancing drugs to be conducted within the 30 day window leading up to the fight.
Pacquiao had no problems with submitting to the blood tests, although he clearly would have preferred not to have to take them because he feels they weaken his body. However, Pacquiao was still willing to take the tests and even agreed to take them up to 24 days before the fight. But Mayweather wanted them to continue up to 14 days before their fight. This is where the negotiations fell apart. One would have hoped that Mayweather would have learned the boundaries that Pacquiao has by now, and come forth with something that would perhaps meet Pacquiao halfway between 24 days and 14.
But to see Mayweather now saying he wants the test to be taken all the way up to the fight, it makes you wonder whether Floyd is serious about wanting to fight Pacquiao. This isn’t a fighter that is badly in need of money and who will take whatever conditions that are given to him. Pacquiao already has more money than he needs and in his home country of the Philippines, Pacquiao’s money goes even further. If Mayweather thinks that he’s going to get Pacquiao to agree to random blood tests up through the fight, he’s probably sadly mistaken.
Mayweather also says “Instead of 20 or 25 [million dollars], he [Pacquiao] may have to drop to 15 or 17. And you know me, they may have to throw an extra five or ten on mine, and we can rock and roll. Take it or leave it.” Mayweather sounds as if he feels that he’s dictating the terms. Again, I just don’t see Pacquiao agreeing to these terms. I would hope that there is someone close to Mayweather that can give him a reality check so that he can understand that this probably won’t fly with Pacquiao.
Mayweather feels that if his fight against Shane Mosley does better than Pacquiao’s bout against Clottey, then he, Mayweather, should get the bigger revenue split next time around with Pacquiao. Last time it was 50-50 for Pacquiao and Mayweather, but it looks like Mayweather wants more if his fight does better. That’s really not fair considering that Pacquiao and Top Rank chose Joshua Clottey as a replacement for Mayweather after the negotiations with Floyd fell apart. Pacquiao and Top Rank could have, if they wanted to, found a much more appealing opponent Clottey if they thought it would lead to them getting a bigger cut of the percentage in a future fight against Mayweather.
It was easier for Mayweather, because all he had to do was find a better opponent than Clottey, and he obviously found one in Shane Mosley. But Mayweather is probably wasting his time if he thinks that he’s going to get a bigger percentage than Pacquiao based on a win over Mosley. All it will prove if Mayweather beats Mosley is that he was able to defeat a 38-year-old fighter who hasn’t fought in over a year.
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