With a magical 49-0 wriggling like bait on a hook, the pace at which this moves depends on Mayweather?
The first fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao didn?t deliver. The long and winding road to the MGM Grand Garden Arena was paved in gold and enriched the participants beyond their wildest dreams. But fight fans felt fleeced. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was the ?fight boxing needed.? It would pull boxing out of doldrums. It would attract millions of new fans. If anything could restore the luster the sport had lost over the years, that fight was it.
Mayweather was masterful, of course, a performer at the top of his game. Pacquiao fought injured. It was no contest.
But boxing is a numbers game and tens of millions, hundreds of millions tuned in to watch the fight. Money rained down on the participants like manna from heaven and it was good. Everybody was happy in the end; well, almost everybody. The fans thought they?d been played for suckers and swore to never pay to watch those two guys fight again. Not after that fiasco.
But time marches on. Memories fade. There?s another spectacle on the horizon.
These fighters are superstars, supernovas, intergalactic name-in-lights kind of fighters. There are few in any generation and fewer now than ever. If Pacquiao gets by Jeff Horn in Brisbane in July, and when Mayweather finds time to beat UFC star Conor McGregor, Manny and Floyd may fight again.
Bob Arum wants it. So does Freddie Roach.
?I do believe we can knock this guy out,? said Roach. ?We have the tools to do that.
?I think Manny will have to look good in this fight to get to Mayweather, because if Mayweather is deciding whom he?d fight next I?d like that to be us.?
With a magical 49-0 wriggling like bait on a hook, the pace at which this moves depends on Mayweather. He?s the A-side. He holds all the cards. He wouldn?t have it another way.
