Pacquiao insists he will fight Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather has said Manny Pacquiao doesn't want to fight him, but Pacquiao insists that could not be further from the truth.
Pacquiao was upstairs in the bedroom of his suite at the MGM Grand over the weekend, catching a nap after a long day of giving a deposition in a defamation lawsuit he filed in 2010 against fellow superstar boxer Mayweather.
A little after 5 p.m., his dinner of steak, rice and asparagus was delivered, where it sat, untouched, for nearly 90 minutes. Finally, Pacquiao slowly, sleepily made his way down the stairs. He greeted me with a wan smile and headed to the dining room table. He bowed his head in silent prayer, then poured steak sauce over his food.
He didn’t dig in immediately, and was almost like a child forced by his parents to stay at the table until he cleared his plate. He ran his fork aimlessly through the rice, not seeming particularly hungry or eager to talk.
It wasn’t until the subject of a potential bout with Mayweather came up – the topic that no one fails to raise with him – that he seemed to awaken. Suddenly, Pacquiao shook the sleep from his eyes to defend himself against an incessant Mayweather campaign that has painted him as a reluctant warrior.
In the weeks before Mayweather announced Jan. 31 that he would fight Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden on May 5, Mayweather waged a public campaign for a bout with Pacquiao. He posted on Twitter and spoke at news conferences, using every opportunity to make it seem that Pacquiao was avoiding the big match.
Mayweather, it was suggested to Pacquiao, is winning the public relations contest handily, at least in the U.S. At that, Pacquiao looked up from his plate and put down his fork. His eyes widened and he leaned forward, staring intently across the table.
“He talks, he says all this, but you know what: He doesn’t want the fight,” Pacquiao firmly told Yahoo! Sports in an exclusive interview. “I want the fight. I’m the one who has wanted this fight all along.”
Not long after he was granted a conditional boxing license by the Nevada Athletic Commission to fight Cotto, Mayweather made a big deal of Pacquiao turning down a $40 million guarantee to fight him.
But Pacquiao said that was simply a bluff, a public relations stunt that didn’t bear any semblance to reality.
“He offered me $40 million, and no pay-per-view [money],” Pacquiao said, breaking into a laugh. “No pay-per-view. Can you believe that? Would you do that? Come on. What would he say if I offered him $50 million – not $40 million, $50 million – and said ‘No pay-per-view. Take this money and be happy, but no pay-per-view.’ He wouldn’t do it, either.”
The fight, if it ever happens, would pit the two best fighters and the two biggest draws in the sport against one another. It would likely generate more than $160 million in pay-per-view revenue in the U.S. alone.
Mayweather phoned Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz in the Philippines on Jan. 19 and asked to speak to Pacquiao. Mayweather then told Pacquiao he’d offer him $40 million, which Mayweather later told the media “is far more than he’s ever made.”
Pacquiao said he wanted to fight, but that $40 million flat wasn’t nearly fair.
“I told him, ‘OK, 50-50 [with the money] and I’ll agree to everything else,’ ” Pacquiao said. “I told him I would agree to all of the other things he was demanding. Everything. Even the blood testing he wanted, I would do it. But it had to be 50-50.”
Pacquiao said he told Koncz to offer Mayweather a guarantee of $50 million with the rest of the revenue being split, with 55 percent going to the winner and 45 percent going to the loser.
There was no response from Mayweather’s side, Pacquiao said.
“Manny authorized me to do that and I went forward with it, but it went nowhere,” Koncz said. “That was it.”
Mayweather’s manager, Leonard Ellerbe, denied such an offer was made and suggested it was a stunt dreamed up by Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum.
Ellerbe said, “Pacquiao is lying” about the offer and said the conversation with Mayweather lasted only two minutes.
“What Manny Pacquiao has to understand, and I don’t think he understands this part, is that if the fight ever comes off, he’ll never make the kind of money that Floyd makes,” Ellerbe said. “That’s simply because of the structure of his terrible deal with his promoter.
“[Pacquiao] is a guy who doesn’t know what he makes fight to fight. He has no idea of where the revenue comes from. There’s no way he’s going to come up with something like that [offer] off the top of his dome.”
Pacquiao said that once Mayweather came to an agreement to fight Cotto, he chose Bradley over Juan Manuel Marquez because he thought it would be better business.
Pacquiao and Marquez have fought three times, most recently Nov. 12, with Pacquiao winning the last two after the first was a draw. Arum said after the Nov. 12 match, which many believe Marquez deserved to win, that he’d probably arrange a rematch.
As Pacquiao considered his options for his next fight, he thought it would be best to put distance between the fights.
“Would you want to see the same movie again?” he said.
The movie may not have been the same had Pacquiao been at his best for Marquez. Pacquiao said Saturday that he “underestimated” Marquez and that he didn’t do plyometrics training.
Pacquiao and Marquez fought to a draw at featherweight in 2004, then Pacquiao won a split decision in a super featherweight bout in 2008. Marquez had only moved up to lightweight since then, while Pacquiao became a full-fledged welterweight.
In Marquez’s only fight above lightweight prior to meeting Pacquiao on Nov. 12, he was routed at welterweight by Mayweather. It was clear in the Mayweather fight that he was too small for the division.
That clearly didn’t escape Pacquiao’s notice.
“I underestimated him,” Pacquiao said. “I thought he was small, and that I would have no problems. It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have underestimated him.”
Comment 43 - 62 of 62
Pacquiao is too often caught square on which leaves him wide open to a favourite Floyd counterpunch "The straight right".He also leans too far in with punches which makes him vunerable to Floyds "Left hook".
It is a fact that Manny makes too many mistakes to ever really trouble Mayweather.
Don't take my word for it go to you tube listen to Oscar de la Hoya,Shane Mosley,and Marquez three fighters who have fought both men and let them convince you that Manny does not stand a chance.
The words "Different League" often do not have any revelance in boxing but in the case of Floyd Mayweather jr they most surely do.
floyd hits the pads like he,s done it a million times, yet when he fights he only throws three punches at the most before holding. he tucks his chin in and lifts his left elbow up when a fighter gets in close. freddy roach will exploit this, manny is a southpore like ortiz who caught floyd a few times but is not on mannys level, as did mosely. floyd does not want this fight , manny will be in his face from the off, and floyd will have to work hard to keep him away. floyd doesnt have the power to knock out manny, but manny has. floyds weekness is his body as he leaves it to exposed.
I like Mayweather and used to be a fan of Pacquiao but I no longer care about this fight, its so boring all the bull being spoken. I know Mayweather would fight Pacquiao in a heart beat but Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum doesn't want to risk his golden goose in a fight with Mayweather, I think Pacquiao probably wants to fight Mayweather but he wants too many things in his favor, the testing is an issue for him and he wants more money than Mayweather, that is another way of turning down a fight without actually saying no, oldest trick in the book in boxing circles. Please Floyd move on and forget about Pacquiao, fight guys that want to fight you.
@ todd I think you'll find when the final bell rings mayweather has shown the up most respect for all the fighters he faced the way it should be watch some of his fights don't just second guess and gather facts from articles and newspapers he sells the fight and then shows respect this gives him maximum earnings in which if told to do so you would do the same if it meant more money in your pocket and the diff between 1 mill and 10 mill its boxing and the one who started it was the great ali just following a successful trend to make more money so don't be a fool
I was going to post why I thought this was all smoke and mirrors then I read the post and realised that this room was full of casual fans (pactards) so I wont waste my time lol
Just make sure you Knock Mouthweather Out Pac Man..........
Floyd is the superior boxer and will give a master class to Manny..
Mayweather will thrash the juiced up Pacman.
Mayweather only puts impediments in the way because he knows who the better fighter and its not the guy he sees in he mirror ........Pacman is the best fighter in years and Mr M knows it. It would cost Mayweather too much when he loses so this is just his way of trying to save face and keep safe...
Its funny to me how individuals can say Mayweather won his belt this way or that way he ran from this person or that person and those same individuals have no since of boxing at all. Mayweather is the best boxer in the game rite now because hes the smartest boxer in the ring every time against every opponent. He simply knows how to win. he makes every opponent fight his fight he never has to fight any one elses fight because the opponent is not smart enough to make mayweather fight his style of boxing. there is no way mayweather should go 50/50 with pacquiao. mayweather has made more money in his last 2 fights than pacquiao has in his last 5 fights. mayweather puts more butts in the seat than pacquiao ever will.
Mr Pac-Man just likes to fight, its in his blood. Money he has. Any a great support of his people and Latinos. I have a lot of respect for Mr Pac Man
mayweather women fighter just another zero will be broke in 5yrs
PACMAN took it easy on JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ so MaYWEATher would think he had a chance. It's all like a chest match at this level. If JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ was better he would have won. But he didn't...
As much as I hate to say it I think Mayweather would win due to his defense and hand speed. Mayweather typically looks to throw quick jabs and get out of the way- he fights like he is scared to get hit. His incredible defense saves him when fighting the heavier handed fighters, he will not stand toe-to-toe with a big puncher. I can't really blame him as he gets wins this way but makes him look like he's scared to take a shot. He would do this vs Pacman- and win, unfortunately. I would absolutely love to see him stand and fight and get knocked out as I'm sure many would agree. He is a terrible ambassador for the sport as he has no idea how to speak coherently and without vulgarities. He shows little respect for the other fighters in the game which does not endear him with both fans and sportswriters alike.
As a Filipino/Hispanic/American woman, I am extremely proud of Manny as a person, and even more as a fighter. He fights with more heart than Floyd can even imagine, because he doesn't only fight for himself, he fights for his people, as opposed to Floyd, who only wants to run his mouth. Floyd is scared, he'll never be Manny's equivalent, in more ways than one.
and manny doesnt want to fight and lose again with JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ#1!...boxing is a joke and circus now a days!
lol, mayweather may not want to fight pacquiao, and pacquiao doesnt want to get another beating or another lost fight, that the world seen, im referring to another fight with JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ#1!
funny you talk pacman this pacman that but most of you never heard of pacman 5 years ago now you on the band waggon ...retards i say that dont know boxing at all...mayweather deserves way more than ms pacman...whos the champ with no loses diff weight classes who makes more money whos worth more money who has more money... keep doubting mayweather until he wins again then you find something else to talk about...hes scared of his record no he made his record ...ms pacman knows once he lose to mayweather no one is gonna watch his fights any more.....yes he will retire...mayweather doesnt need to fight him he needs to fight mayweather...and yes ms pacman lost his last fight ...mayweather scores another knock out....
Mayweather didnt want to fight Manny because he said he was juicing...give me a break Mayweather is a doctor now?. Now hes trying to turn it around and and say Manny is the one one who is dodging him. Not a real champions actions...How did he get his belt, Oh yeah I remember he ran from De La Hoya for 12 rounds. Seems to me he is in the wrong sport, he should run track, considering he runs ring so well. Now he runs from any real challenge aka Manny. In Mayweathers defense I wouldnt want to get whooped by Manny either. Advice: dont let it go to the cards Manny, and as far as Mayweather...do what you do best "Run Floyd run!"
When Mayweather, if ever, steps in the ring with the Pacman, his lustreous career is over. His big mouth will be injured so it won't be able to run anymore. The truth will be told in the ring. I'm not saying he is not a good boxer, but he is bigger in his head than he has ever been in reality, Manny has always had something more to fight for than just self. He has gone a long way to help his country as Ammbassador, and funded plenty of programs assisting his countrymen. As senator, he contiues to do so. With those things in mind he is a winner already!
I think it will be a GREAT fight and after seeing Many struggle against Marquez, Floyd is confident he can beat Many...Many is a fast, well conditioned and intelligent boxer but I don't think he has the power to knock out Floyd plus he has never faced someone who has the defense that Mayweather has....I agree that he does talk a lot of trash, but if you were undefeated you probably will too...Enough of the nonsense...Lets get the gloves on and fight!!
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