By John F. McKenna (McJack): New and still undefeated WBA light middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26 KO’s) has painted himself into a corner in his continuing efforts to avoid a ring showdown with Filipino sensation WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 26 KO’s).
First and foremost among the excuses “Money May” has effectively used over the last several years is the issue of drug testing. And while the drug testing issue resonates in the boxing community, particularly with two of today’s marquee fighters recently testing positive, that issue has been put to rest.
Granted Manny Pacquiao was slow in addressing the drug testing issue, allowing “Pretty Boy” to beat him over the head with it, he finally came around and agreed to the Olympic style drug testing that Floyd demands before he steps into the ring with any fighter. And while Floyd still raises the drug testing issue as if it were still relevant it is now a phony issue. Kudos to Mayweather for successfully exploiting the issue to make it appear that Pacquiao was ducking him.
Another classic excuse and one that his fans are only too willing to accept is that it is not his fault, but the fault of boxing promoter Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. Here again Mayweather has chosen an easy target in Arum. Boxing promoters these days are perceived by the boxing public to be a rung down the ladder from used car dealers in their untrustworthiness. The feeling is that they will say anything and do anything to sell a fight. So in targeting Arum, Floyd knows he will not receive any blowback from boxing fans.
Then there is the issue of the defamation lawsuit brought against Mayweather by Pacquiao over Team Mayweather’s constant insinuations that Manny used performance enhancing drugs (PEDS) in his march up through the weight classes to win eight world championships. A feat never accomplished by any other fighter. And while Mayweather is insisting that Pacquiao withdraw the defamation lawsuit before any serious negotiations can ensue, the insinuations coming out of Team Mayweather continue unabated.
Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya and its CEO Richard Schaefer had been initially named in the lawsuit as well, but issued a written apology after which the lawsuit against Golden Boy was dropped. The action left Mayweather dangling alone so to speak, to fight the lawsuit. It has been nearly a year since the lawsuit against Golden Boy was dropped. The legal team Pacquiao hired is high profile and the monetary cost at this point would most likely be in the millions of dollars. Due to the high legal costs and the fact that Team Mayweather’s insinuations continue unabated it is a given that Manny will not just roll over and eat the monetary costs incurred.
Then there is the issue of the purse split. Despite Manny having won championships in eight divisions and being named Fighter of the Year three times and Fighter of the Decade by boxing writers, Floyd maintains that Pacquiao is not worthy of a 50 – 50 split of the revenue that such a Mega Fight would generate. Mayweather further maintains that because his Pay Per View (PPV) numbers are so much higher than Manny’s he is deserving of the lions share of the purse.
That argument simply appears to be that of a fighter simply not wanting to take the risk of losing his most prized possession. A possession apparently worth more than all the money that such a fight would generate, that would be Floyd’s “0”. Manny’s PPV numbers over his most recent fights have actually been in the same range that Mayweahther’s have. Pacquiao’s live gate receipts actually blow away Mayweather’s live gate performance. In addition, the reality is that when you take into account the foreign based high rollers that travel to Las Vegas to watch each and every one of Manny’s fights, Floyd’s claims that he is the higher draw does not hold water.
In the well reported phone call Floyd made to Manny a couple of months ago, he offered Pacquiao a take it or leave it $40 million. Mayweather of course would keep the PPV revenue which would be estimated to be in the $150 million range. Floyd feigned surprise when “Pacman” turned down his “generous” offer. In retrospect it is clear based on Mayweather’s recent actions that he is merely coming up with excuse after excuse to avoid fighting Pacquiao.
In his most recent fight against Miguel Cotto, Floyd put on a very impressive performance and clearly dominated the fight. Try as he might though, Mayweather was unable to floor Cotto, or take him out of the fight. Floyd was only too well aware that many boxing fans would be making the comparison between his performance against Cotto and Manny’s when the latter TKO’d Cotto in November 2009.
That is why Mayweather from the outset of his fight with Cotto attempted to portray Miguel as being weight drained when he fought Pacquiao. That belies the truth, when taking into consideration that Cotto entered into his fight with “Pacman” weighing just a pound less than he had against Joshua Clottey seven months prior. Cotto himself admitted at the time that the reason he lost to Pacquiao was not because he was weight drained, but because Manny was just too fast.
So the reality is that because he is so fearful of losing his status as an undefeated fighter “Money May” will never, ever engage Pacquiao in the ring. Not in six months or twelve months, but never. Boxing fans, of which I am one, must face that reality.
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