Some people blame Floyd ?Money? Mayweather Jr. for the fight with Manny Pacquiao never coming to fruition, others blame Pacquiao. Everyone should agree that they both share the blame to a certain degree, but which camp deserves more of the blame is debatable.
I have always felt that Pacquiao was responsible for the first letdown after declining the drug testing provision that Mayweather insisted upon. Although I admit that even if Pacquiao agreed, there is no telling whether Floyd would?ve followed through with the fight or found another term to discourage the fight from happening.
Since that first round of negotiations, it is my belief that Mayweather Jr. is mostly responsible for not at least exploring the Pacquiao fight ever since the initial disappointment.
Again, it is debatable, but things are becoming clearer now, and the vindictive and intentional sabotaging falls squarely on Floyd. I?m not saying he is the only reason that the fight won?t happen, but it is Floyd and Floyd alone that is responsible for the collateral damage associated with the Pacquiao fight not happening (if it indeed doesn?t). It is one thing not coming to terms, but Mayweather Jr. has now presumably taken the second biggest fight in boxing out of the mix as rumors of a potential rematch with Miguel Cotto appear to be more and more likely, thus taking Cotto out of the proposed Canelo Alvarez fight.
If Floyd wants to continue the trend of fighting opponents with a weaker demand to that of Pacquiao then that is his prerogative. Let Floyd pass on Pacquiao in favor of Amir Khan, but don?t use your immense power in boxing as the reigning cash cow to sabotage Cotto-Canelo.
Former HBO commentator Larry Merchant spoke with Thaboxingvoice.com about the two mega fights and their potential success, as well as the disappointment fans would feel if they don?t get either of them.
For Merchant it boils down to one simple form of reasoning and he doesn?t think it is as enticing to see the same fight for the second time, especially when we could get two completely different fights with unknown outcomes.
?Some people have told me he can make just as much money fighting Canelo as he presumably could fighting Mayweather and have a better chance to win. We?ve seen [Mayweather-Cotto] fight, we haven?t seen Cotto-Canelo and just as a fight fan that?s a fight I would prefer to see. What the dollar and cents of it is, I don?t know? Cotto must think he?s got a better shot elsewhere, but I can?t be inside his head,? Merchant told Nestor Gibbs of Thaboxingvoice.com.
Merchant makes a lot of sense, and even if Cotto doesn?t make as much money fighting Canelo as he would with Mayweather it would still be a significant payday. Plus, you can?t put a price on being a live dog in a fight and Cotto stands a much better chance of defeating Canelo than he does Mayweather Jr., regardless of the revamped corner this time around against Floyd.
Mayweather Jr. is being deliberate, and it is obviously due to the fact that he doesn?t want to lose the Cinco de Mayo date that Canelo was/is chasing. In his attempt to secure the May 2nd date, Mayweather Jr. has stuck it to fans in an abrupt and unrelenting manner. Merchant points out; it may be a practice in futility as Canelo and Golden Boy plan on moving forward with the May 2nd date in mind.
?What I heard was that Golden Boy said [Canelo] is still going to fight on that date, presumably in San Antonio where he?s already drawing 40,000 people, and there are guys out there that he could fight. What if he fought Timothy Bradley at the Alamodome, they might have 50 or 60 thousand people.?
Once upon a time, Merchant suggested Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya fighting. Most assumed that the matchup was a fantasy fight, but it came to fruition. Perhaps the semi-retired broadcaster has given us another unrealized matchup with real potential.
