Imagine that the NFC and AFC champions decided they weren?t going to meet in the Super Bowl.
Imagine that the National League and American League pennant-winners opted to skip the World Series.
Imagine that the NBA?s Eastern and Western Conference titlists chose to forgo the league?s Finals.
Imagine the world?s two best pound-for-pound boxers, who just happen to campaign in the same weight range, could not agree upon terms for, potentially, the richest superfight of all time.
The first three scenarios are unimaginable. The last one is not only imaginable; it?s been happening for more than two years.
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be fighting later this year ? but not against each other. On November 12, Pacquiao will engage in his third contest with Juan Manuel Marquez. If anyone can be considered Pacquiao?s nemesis, it?s Marquez, who held Pacman to a draw in their first fight and lost a razor-thin decision in its sequel.
Meanwhile, Mayweather rattled the boxing world when he Twittered that he will be meeting newly crowned WBC welterweight king Victor Ortiz on September 17. This development came out of nowhere, like the punch you don?t see. Earlier, Mayweather had made noises about fighting Paul Spadafora. But his primary battles had been in court, where he faces serious criminal charges. Hopefully, concentration on training for the Ortiz fight will keep Mayweather from getting into more trouble.
Pacquiao?s choice of Marquez is understandable. A decisive win over his old foe would erase the doubts hanging over their previous two fights. At a catchweight of 144 lb, they?ll be a lot heavier than they were in their earlier encounters. Pacquiao carries the weight well; Marquez doesn?t. Therefore, Pacquiao will get the unquestionable win he wants. He has the added incentive of trying to beat Marquez worse than Mayweather did in 2009.
Victor Ortiz is red-hot these days. His title-winning war with Andre Berto is a candidate for Fight of the Year. And his redemption for his earlier ?no-mas? moment when he surrendered to Marcos Maidana makes for an upbeat story in a sport that is often slow to forgive moments of weakness.
For all his appeal, though, ?Vicious Victor? stands little more than the proverbial puncher?s chance against ?Money? Mayweather. Only if Mayweather is rusty, or is distracted by his legal woes, will he be in any danger at the hands of the inexperienced Ortiz.
So, Pacquiao will settle his score with Marquez this fall. And Mayweather will take Ortiz to school. Another ?W? for both superstars.
So what? Boxing fans will have gone another year without their World Series or Super Bowl. Pacquiao and Mayweather will have shadowboxed rather than fought. If they continue their game of accusations, lawsuits, and trying to one-up their performances against each other?s previous opponents, demand for a fight between them will wane. And if they do meet in the ring, the purse could be much smaller than the $100 million they would have split last year.
Chances for a Pacquiao-Mayweather superfight in 2012 are about 50-50. Then again, if the NFL doesn?t resolve its current labor dispute chances for a 2012 Super Bowl will be zero.
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace, as well as the Imaro series of fantasy/adventure novels. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers.
