Although most of the world has grown tired of talking about a possible Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao mega fight, chatter still goes on fueled by the usual suspects.
Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, told The San Francisco Chronicle that the two pound-for-pound greats of their generation could meet in 2015 and that both HBO and Showtime have already discussed the possible fight.
“Both networks want this fight to happen,” Arum said. “All signs seem to point to the fight happening early next year.”
Sure we have heard this time and time again ever since the initial talks between the two camps failed back in 2010.
Anytime one of the fighters involved expresses his interest in the fight it seems to grab the world’s attention more, and Pacquiao voiced his opinion as well.
“Of course, I want this fight,” Pacquiao said. “People have always been bothering me, ‘When is this fight going to happen?’ … ‘When is this fight going to happen?’ I am ready to fight Floyd anytime.”
Arum took the talks a step further and suggested that he would want to see a two-fight series between Pacman and Money. He also mentioned that the time is now or never to get it signed and that financial split should be based on the winner of the first possible bout.
“There is a sell-by date, where it becomes (after that) ‘Who cares?’ It has to happen by the first six months of next year,” Arum said. “And if it happens, there should be a provision with a different percentage for the rematch. So that the winner is rewarded for winning the fight.
“I would love to see these guys fight twice next year.”
Despite the failed talks over the years, Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said there is no question that both Mayweather and Pacquiao are still boxing’s biggest draws. So if a fight is made next year the interest in it will still be huge.
“Everyone would have liked to see the fight have happened earlier,” Roach said. “But it’s still the biggest fight out there, and there is still a huge audience that wants to see it. I think Mayweather is a little shot, and we have a better shot now.”
Pacquiao, Arum and Roach were in the Bay Area Thursday to promote Pacman’s Nov. 20 bout with American Chris Algieri at the Venetian in Macau, China. Mayweather will step into the ring in a little over two weeks when he rematches Marcos Maidana on Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
