The hopes of many in the boxing world were high heading into Tuesday. It had been announced days prior that members from the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather were to be meeting in California in a last attempt to save the potential March 13th mega fight.
News recently broke tonight that Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, as well as their legal team, came face to face with Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, Oscar De La Hoya, their legal team, and Mayweather manager Al Haymon. The two parties spent the better part of nine hours with mediator Daniel Weinstein in hopes of coming to some sort of agreement.
But, as reported by ESPN?s Dan Rafael, the camps were not able to come to a resolution and will continue discussions tomorrow. Ever since the Olympic style drug testing fiasco came to light the possibilities of a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown have been up in the air. The announcement of the mediation initially lifted the spirits of many close to the fight but today?s news has brought many back down to earth. It was reported that a gag order was in effect following the first day’s mediation, and neither side had anything to say.
Wanting to get a better feel for what the boxing public is saying about the contest, I visited some of the most knowledgeable and opinionated boxing forums on the net. Pulling no punches, the fans showed tremendous frustration and disappointment. In their own words, this is what everyone is saying about the mediation and its aftereffects?
(Rebel @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?This fight will happen, but I don’t think it’ll happen in March. I never did think so. If it happens, I think it’ll take place in September after each of them has faced warm-up opponents in the interim.
Not surprisingly, Pac’s opponent will most likely be a more difficult task than Floyd’s.?
(Soir @ BoxingScene.com)? ?I think this is good news sorta. They really want it to happen if they spent the entire work day on this one topic.?
(Columbian Slugger @ Boxingbb.com)? ?Well if all it takes is a fake apology for this fight to happen I say do it…who gives a s**t? make fight, get paid, and case closed. Of course apologizing in public is not going to stop some people from believing Pacquiao took something.?
(The Stone Roses @ BoxingScene.com)? ?from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm…WTF??? how long does it take for someone to say I will take the tests anytime, anywhere??? c’mon?
(TFK @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?Why is there any need for a warm up? People want to see the fight now. The fight is in the news now. Any delay is not gonna help it, it can only hurt it.
The fight doesn’t need any more buildup. If either of them fight anyone else other then each other, that is a disgrace.?
(Barristan @ FightBeat.com)? ?I don’t think Pac has an honest bone in his body. I think this Judge already knows this and will lean towards Mayweather’s side of things. What will the Pac ball swingers say when he rejects the Judges opinion and threatens to sue him??
(1nonlymre @ BoxingScene.com)? ?For those wondering about mediation and the time it takes to complete things, keep in mind that there is more than one thing on the table to discuss.
Read the article, you’ll see.
At this point, the overall issue of this fight is very delicate and requires examination of everything, every tangent, every obstacle.
I doubt the mediator will come into the room, say, “All in favor say ‘Aye'”, and count hands. I swear some of you folks think it’s that easy.
Oh, and before I get blasted…I’ve dealt with mediation in the past…no boxing mediation, of course, but with civil mediations pertaining to child custody, conservatorships, and the like. Believe me, these things are not cut and dry.
It would be nice to get an immediate response and I hope something comes about soon. I would say we should have an answer no later than Friday, if anything, to allow for an ample training schedule to prepare for a March 13 date.?
(Click HERE to see more about Mayweather’s rumored altercation with Rick Ross at Club Vanity)
(TyrantT316 @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?After recently fighting Marquez and Cotto in the past few months, since when do the top two P4P fighters need a tune up?
Not like tune-up will make either of them any better prepared for each other…it’s all boxing politics delay.?
(V-10 @ FightBeat.com)? ?First Floyd agrees to a 50-50 split.
Then he agrees on the gloves and ring size.
Then he agrees to pay 10 millions for every pound overweight as Manny asked.
Then he agrees to compromise the date for the blood testing.
Then goes to a mediator to help get the fight done.
Oh how he’s ducking!?
(Attraction @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?I’m really hoping this fight gets made. I don’t mind if it gets moved back to later in the year though, mainly because Malignaggi/Foreman and Matthew Hatton have no chance against Mayweather or Pac. It’s just more of a wait, which is annoying. But I certainly think the fight is happening in March though.
Hopefully today is the day this s**t gets sorted.
One of the worst sagas in the history of the game.?
(*Z* @ FightBeat.com)? ?Oh Poor Floyd. He sure caved to all of Manny’s crazy demands there.
The only one demanding ANYTHING out of the ordinary is Floyd here.
You guys need to pull your head out of Floyd @ss. This forum is sickening right now.?
(CRHarmony @ Examiner.com) “If you ask me its hard to determine where Floyd’s mental state is at. I heard he’s too busy getting into fights at the club with rappers to be concerned with Pacquiao.”
(Valentino @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?If they fight a “tune up”…I hope one of them lose.
If PBF loses in the tune up…his career is over.
If Pac loses in the tune up…his career is not over…but the Super Fight would lose that element.
The fight should take place in March. If not…then PBF should fight either Cotto or Mosley. Pac gets a pass…but he better fight somebody relatively good.?
(steve dave @ FightBeat.com)? ?The blind Pacquiao love FAR out-weighs anything Mayweather related right now on this forum.
If you ask me, both sides have been annoying as hell.?
(Jack1000 @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?This is not “Good Hype.” It’s “Bad Hype” and bulls**t.?
(Erratic @ FightBeat.com)? ?There’s actually an online petition made by Pacquiao fans for Mayweather’s sponsors to drop him because of what he’s said.
Until they come to an agreement and get on with the fight, f**k both sides.
This whole mess is beyond just Mayweather-Pacquiao, you’ve got the bad blood between Bob Arum and Floyd, Bob Arum and GBP (mainly DLH), GBP probably holding a grudge that they almost signed Pacquiao but ultimately weren’t able to, etc..?
(mex fighter @ BoxingFanatics.com)? ?this whole f**king soap opera and when they do fight, its still going to be a boring @ss stinker.
Mayweather is still Mayweather.
I said it before and I?ll still say it…..I couldn’t care less if this fight happens. I like toe to toe, not easy decisions?
(KaukipRrr @ FightBeat.com)? ?The only thing stopping this fight from going ahead is whether to allow Pacquiao to take illegal performance enhancers or not,.. if he can, the fight is on, if he can’t, the fight is off. But I don?t think it’s just the PE’s Fraud has to worry about, Pacquiao more than any other, is a tool for deregulated capitalism, and Arum has indicated that the “commission” is in on it, by clinging to them so very, very tightly, as well as the commission displaying the pathetic ‘front’ of doing a random ‘Urine’ test before any fight has been signed, which is a clear attempt to aid Arum’s case, even though Pacquiao has publicly indicated that his brand of performance enhancers cannot be detected in his piss. With the commission in pocket, who knows what else he can get away with, judges?, rigged wraps?… it’s a revolting and sad situation that is being celebrated and assisted by his groupies who would gladly love the sport to be twisted around Pacquiao like it already appears to be,..and so in the very least,..Fraud should not back down from the testing,.. this time,..he’s the lesser of two evils,.. he’s hated the way he should be,.. but Pacquiao isn’t, Pacquiao is adored and loved and can do no wrong,.. and that’s the perfect atmosphere to conduct the kind’ve corruption him, his fat-cat Jewish promoter, and team have been heavily indulging in, and evidently on this forum, it’s worked a treat.?
(lb 4 lb @ FightBeat.com)? ?I find it wrong that Manny is being vilified and accused of something when no evidence has been presented other than him refusing to comply with testing. I’m likewise a Floyd fan but I’m obviously frustrated with his opposition as you all should be. So with that said let me just say this…
I don’t know if Manny’s refusal to comply with an Olympic style blood test is right or wrong but I do know this. He won’t compromise his principles to save himself millions, and that my friends is called integrity, that’s called courage. That’s what boxers should be made of.?
