A fight deal with unbeaten American champion Floyd Mayweather that binds him to face Manny Pacquiao in the ring early or mid next year would allow the Filipino boxing star to retire in less than a year.
The long-delayed super fight?touted as the world’s richest fight in boxing history?is the subject of ongoing backdoor negotiations by the opposing camps along with neutral arbiters or high-level personalities that may include a former US president. It will be a make or break negotiations for the parties as both fighters are fast losing their luster in the ring as they are not getting any younger. Pacquiao has challenged Mayweather to face him in the ring in order to give boxing fans the fight that they’ve all been waiting for in the last five years. Mayweather has initially responded to Pacquiao’s challenge by asking Pacquiao to beat Chris Algieri first before any negotiation can start. Three weeks had elapsed since Pacquiao gave the unbeaten American a boxing lesson, but Mayweather has remained tight-lipped on his promise to sit down with Pacquiao’s camp to work on the pending arrangements for the fight. Mayweather has so far sent out photos to Instagram showing Pacquiao laying unconscious on the canvas after absorbing a power punch from long-time foe Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. In response to Mayweather’s Instagram postings, Pacquiao has responded by asking Mayweather to stop his excuses and fight him instead. ?Stop throwing punches on Instagram and let?s get in the ring! #TBE #TheBestExcuses,? Pacquiao wrote on Instagram. Right after Pacquiao’s lopsided victory over Algieri in Macau, China, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has appealed to Mayweather to accept Pacquiao’s challenge so the the fight that every boxing fan wants to see can be made. ?No excuses. Manny knocked Algieri down six times in one fight. That?s twice as many knockdowns as Mayweather has had in all his fights in the last 12 years,? Arum said. ?All they have to do to is pick up the telephone. I?ll be at the phone. Manny will be at his phone,? added Arum.
Mayweather Jr. of the U.S. celebrates his victory over Alvarez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas � Steve Marcus / Reuters, Reuters Like this image Despite all these bickering, boxing fans are upbeat again on the prospect of seeing the fight happen next year. If the fight happens, Pacquiao should be able to retire in about a year as he would have received a sum equivalent to three fights by just facing Mayweather once. Pacquiao gets at least $20 million per fight or thereabout in his last three fights and if he gets a $60 million share of the purse in his fight against Mayweather, he would then realize the same amount with a single fight. This is just his guaranteed purse and does not include his rightful share in the pay-per-view revenue of the fight. A possible rematch could even lead to a windfall for both fighters as they get closer to their own individual version of retirement.
