Let’s get this out of the way even though January is not over. Boxing’s “Optimist of the Year” is whoever owns and operates this saloon in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. As you can see from our “exclusive” photo, this watering hole is advertising that it will carry the May 5 Mayweather-Pacquiao Super Fight on its big screen TVs. This may come as shock news to Floyd and Manny, their respective camps and zillions of fight fans across the world who want to see May-Pac on the first… Meaning on the first chance they get… Lou DiBella, who gets roasted, dissected and verbally barceued in Manhattan Monday night at the Friar’s Club (Lisa Lampenelli rips Volcanic Lou?), staged one of his more than decent fight club shows–he calls his series “Broadway Boxing”–at the historic Roseland dance palace on Saturday night. All the various boxing scribes gathered there wanted to discuss was how bored they are with Floyd-Manny and their he said-he said “negotiations.” Carlos Suare of the excellent Boricuaboxing.com website, went so far as to say he could now care less if Mayweather and Pacquiao ever fight. Menawhile, “Boxing Truth” radical flamethrower John Chavez, visiting from San Francisco, said he’s not given up hope that Pacman will consent to fight “Money” on Cinco de Mayo in Las Vegas. As for my jaded viewpoint, I’m wondering, more importantly, how our sport will stagger on when Floyd and Manny hang up their gloves. They are our only two worldwide superstars. There is no third superstar in boxing as you read this. Maybe it’s best for most of us in the industry, if not for you fans, if they never fight. The silliness will roll on. What’s next, Manny demanding 49 percent of the pot while Mayweather agrees to take a 53-47 financial advantage? In the bigger picture, I’m think Scottsdale sounds like a lovely place for a midwinter vacation, including great golf, while Manny and Floyd play duck and dodge with each other. In one bar in Scottsdale and in the creative mind of John Chavez, hope springs eternal. Let them keep shouting “May Day” becuse I now look to a Novermber to remember. If they don’t fight in November, let’s just call the whole thing off.
