The iron won’t get any hotter than it is right now so the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mega bout deal must be made here in the merry, merry, month of May…weather.
If they want to stage it come November, we can’t wait for the moon or any swoon in June.
It’s now or, maybe, never.
I’ve already delineated how the Pacman side’s dumping its various defamation lawsuits is crucial to get the fighters to sign bout contracts.
Without that, and I think some brief form of public apology from the Mayweather side, these people may actually be stupid enough to let a $100 million plus jackpot evaporate.
And, when I say stupid, I am not referring to the fighters.
The oddest thing in this second try at making the Big Bout is this, that I believe they will come to an agreement easily on the drug testing, just making the final prefight random test happen in the middle, meaning halfway between the 24 days Pacman wanted and the 14 days Mayweather insisted on.
This should not be any kind of stumbling block as both sides realize the public won’t accept a continuing debate on it.
Here are the other key aspects of getting to a done deal:
PURSE SPLIT: I think Mayweather will stick to his demand for an edge here. His team won’t accept the 50-50 divide discussed and agreed to before the deal blew up in January. So, do this confidentially and cosmetically.
Let Mayweather take 52 percent to Manny’s 48 percent but give all rights in the Philippines–small change, really–to Pacman. Insert a penalty clause in the contract if anyone on either side reveals the revenue split. You run your mouth, you leak the info, you must pay up.
Ricky Hatton has not fought since Pacman flattened him in two rounds in Las Vegas (AP Photo)
VENUE: You go to the highest bidder, whether it’s Jerry Jones or Vegas, as long as that top bidder is in the US and has a proven track record. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see 100,000 rear ends at Cowboys Stadium and again show boxing can thrive outside of Clark County, Nevada? Not that I don’t love my old Mothership but…
REMATCH: The old saying is that, to the victor goes the spoils, so I say let the winner of this bout have an option within a reasonable time period to have a rematch.
The purse split for a second bout could be something like 55-45 in the winner’s favor. I thought about going 60-40 but that seems too punitive in light of my suggested 52-48 divide for November.
RING ENTRANCE: Now we get to the really petty stuff.
In Texas or Nevada, give Mayweather his way, let him enter second. But insert a financial penalty–I think that $250,000 sounds eminently fair–to be assessed against Mayweather if he fails to enter the ring within, say, 10 minutes after Pacquiao climbs through the ropes.
That gives Mayweather plenty of time for a dramatic ring walk, fireworks and all that goes with it but doesn’t leave Manny waiting like a schmuck. Does anyone really think Pacquiao cares about who enters first, anyway? Tossing a small bone to Pacman, you can have him weigh in first although I don’t think he cares a fig about that, either.
GLOVES: Let each fighter choose his brand of weapon, any of the normally approved brands.
Now wasn’t that easy?
The fight will be hard for both men but the negotiations are not.
Bubba Gump could make this fight a reality.
You don’t need a roomful of former Enron execs or Everlast Einsteins to do this.
Don’t let anybody tell you different.
