Hall of Fame matchmaker and promoter Don “War a Week” Chargin claims that the decision to make the highly anticipated mega-fight is ultimately up to the fighters involved.
“If a fighter doesn’t want to step in the ring with a certain opponent, the promoters, matchmakers, and even the managers can’t force their athlete to take the fight,” explains the six decade boxing proponent. “If everyone is on board to make a specific bout but the fighter says he doesn’t want the fight, what are you going to do?”
Over the past three years, fight scribes and boxing fans alike have blamed numerous other factions involved for the breakdown in the proposed Manny Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather fight negotiations. The experienced matchmaker and promoter insists the two fighters who step in the ring are ultimately to blame for what would be the most lucrative fight in the history of the sport not taking place up to this point in time. “From the inception of a fighter’s career, no one forces him to fight. Fighters love to fight, and we love to watch them fight,” explains Don Chargin. “With Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, I think it’s a case where the supporters of the two fighters don’t like the idea of their man backing down from what would more than likely be their biggest respective challenge.” “This is a fight that should have already been made and it still should be made. I think five years from now, if the fight is never realized, both fighters will genuinely regret not making this bout a reality. I think Pacquiao and Mayweather will be saying to themselves, ‘Oh why didn’t we make this fight happen? Why didn’t we take the 40 or 50 million dollars apiece?’ Believe me…that will happen.”
While “The Don” of boxing genuinely believes that the customer is always right in any business, Chargin explains that the eagerness of fight fans have often obscured their vision of the bigger picture. “Although the fans have usually received their bidding throughout the history of boxing, you can’t always live by the popular sentiment and pressure of the media and fight fans when deciding the appropriate time to make a big match-up happen,” states “War a Week” Chargin. “Many years ago, I had Danny ‘Little Red’ Lopez and Bobby Chacon fighting for me at the Olympic Auditorium. After just a few professional bouts, many ringside observers and media members were talking about what a tremendous four round bout it would be if both of these fighters met in the ring.”
“All the while, both men were just building a following. They were still young fighters. When the two boxers starting competing in six round bouts, the media began writing about how the boxing world needed to see this fight happen at six rounds.” Even though promoters and matchmakers have always had to exercise patience when letting a potential match-up completely gestate to its fullest money making potential, the Hall of Fame boxing icon feels that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather has already reached its most lucrative pinnacle.
“In the case of Mayeather versus Pacquiao, it would easily be the biggest gate in the history of the sport. This fight has already reached its maximum growth potential and it needs to happen. I wish both fighters would just make the bout; get it over with already, and let the best man win.”
