By John F. McKenna (McJack): It is becoming more, and more clear that superstar WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26 KO’s) will never fight Filipino icon WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s). In an interview with NBC’s Bob Costas Mayweather in response to a question as to the possibility of fighting Pacquiao stated:

“I am in the game to win, not just inside the ring, but outside the ring. My health is more important than anything.”

Costas then asked Floyd if there was something he feared in facing Pacquiao in the ring, to which Mayweather responded:

“I don’t fear no one. If your insinuating that I’m a scared fighter, why would you want to watch a scared fighter?”

Costas went on to say that Mayweather needs to fight Pacquiao to determine who the best fighter is. Floyd answered by saying:

“I come first. Self preservation. I gotta worry about my family. If the fight don’t happen, so be it.”

Mayweather when questioned by Costas about a 50-50 split with Pacquiao said:

“I’m not giving up the split. I can’t afford to.”

The exchange between Costas and Mayweather and the admissions that Floyd made were surprising. In the lead up to his May 5 fight with WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 KO’s), “Money” Mayweather will almost certainly face more questions by reporters who are not really interested in watching him fight a safe opponent like Miguel Cotto. Boxing fans would prefer instead for Mayweather to fight the Filipino Congressman Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather is seriously jeopardizing his legacy as a fighter if he chooses not to fight Pacquiao while both fighters are still in their primes. The excuse that Floyd chose to trumpet the most as the reason the super fight could not happen is Floyd’s insistence on Olympic style drug testing. That issue was put to bed months ago although he still occasionally drags it out as if it were still an issue. Some of Mayweather’s conditions to be met for a fight between him and Pacquiao to happen, border on the absurd. The Mayweather camp had insisted that Top Rank CEO Bob Arum be let go and that Pacquiao train exclusively in the United States. It is a sure bet that even if those demands were met, Floyd would come up with still more demands.