Blame Boxing Fans for No Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight
By Ralph Rimpell
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 12 Dec 2014
For the last five years Boxing Fans, Media, Fighters, and persons of interest have expressed a desire to see Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26KOs) match up against Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs).
There have been at least half a dozen reasons why the proposed ?richest prizefight of all time? has failed to materialize. Initially Pacquiao?s camp wanted financial parity with Mayweather, which Mayweather refused. Then Mayweather wanted ?Olympic style drug testing?, which the Pacquiao camp refused. When Pacquiao agreed to take less money than Mayweather and agreed to the drug testing, then Mayweather insisted that his former Boxing Promoter and Pacquiao?s current Promoter, Bob Arum, not participate in the Promotion of the fight. Each time negotiations failed, both fighters have gone on to face different opponents. In the interim Pacquiao has been knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez and lost a controversial decision to Timothy Bradley. Marquez refused a 5th fight with Pacquiao, who earlier defeated him twice and fought to a draw with him. Pacquiao again dominated Bradley in a rematch and then was rightly awarded the decision victory. Pacquiao has also beaten Brandon Rios and recently WBO junior welterweight champion, Chris Algieri. Pacquiao has publicly expressed a desire to face Mayweather. Mayweather has won all his fights between negotiations.
It has been almost 3 weeks now since Pacquiao?s last bout with Algieri and there have been rumored serious negotiations for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight to finally happen. So why is there not a proposed date for this fight like June 20, 2015? Why is there not an announcement that an agreement in principle has been reached between both camps and contracts are being drawn up?
There are reports that Mayweather really does not want to fight Pacquiao. Mayweather is lackluster and unreasonable in the reported negotiations. Mayweather?s camp has offered Promoter Bob Arum $10 million dollars as a ?step aside fee? not to participate in the Promotions, knowing full well Bob Arum will refuse. More reports have surfaced that Mayweather want?s ?two thirds of the pie? or 66% of all revenue from the fight. The Pacquiao camp has refused. Bob Arum has countered by saying Mayweather is afraid of losing his undefeated record which now stands at 47-0, 26 KOs.
Mayweather has 2 fights left on a $200,000,000 contract from the Showtime network. There is talk of Showtime extending his contact. If Mayweather can make $30-$40 million on low risk fighters like Robert Guerrero and Victor Ortiz, why risk that on a dangerous quick left handed fighter like Manny Pacquiao?
Mayweather?s last two fights averaged approximately 900,000 PPV (Pay per View) fights, which was lower than anticipated. Showtime is apparently satisfied because they are allowing Mayweather to pick and choose his opponents. In the meantime the public continues to grow frustrated wanting to know when Mayweather is going fight Pacquiao.
Oscar De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather?s Promoter, recently said if a Mayweather?Pacquiao fight can?t be made, then he will attempt to make Mayweather-Kahn. Why would De La Hoya make a statement like that if a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was in jeopardy of once again not being signed due to Mayweather?s unwillingness to fight Pacquiao? Fight fans would once again be at square one if that happens.
Are the same fans who are upset that they have not seen their dream fight (Mayweather-Pacquiao) going to spend $70 USD to watch Mayweather fight someone else like Amir Kahn, Keith Thurmond, or Danny Garcia? Who wants to see that? Mayweather is no Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Ray Leonard, or Marvin Hagler. But based on his bank account, it appears he believes that he is in the same stratosphere as these fighters.
Yes, in the past he has beaten some very good fighters, but who has he defeated lately? The fans make celebrities who they are, especially boxing celebrities. The fans don?t care about his ex-fianc??s terminated pregnancy, his Beef with former friend 50 Cent, his literacy issues, and all the other BS outside of boxing. It?s up to the fans to finally send Mayweather a message if he again fails to deliver Pacquiao as an opponent in his next outing not to purchase his fight. That?s the only way to force Mayweather into reality. The reality is that he works for the fans, not vice versa because it?s the fans that pay his salary or allow him to earn his mega paydays.
At the end of the day people can blame the Promoters, Advisors, Managers, Mayweather, Pacquiao, or the Network but they will be wrong to do so. The reality is if the networks have no fans, they can?t put on a boxing show. Boxing is starving for the best match-up possible, which is Mayweather-Pacquiao. The reason that hasn?t happened is because the Boxing Fans are to blame. Why, because it?s the fans who support the inferior match-ups by purchasing them.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ralph Rimpell.
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