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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will Never Happen

Posted on 04/08/2011

You read the book “Pacman” and the author Gary Andrew Poole states in the epilogue about the talked about Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight: “If Pacquiao and Mayweather never meet, it would be a major body blow to boxing, a sport that had been gaining mainstream momentum, mostly because of Pacquiao.”

Truth of the matter is boxing has been riding on the coattails of Pacquiao. The fight with Mayweather will never happen. There are any number of reasons as to why this epic fight, arguably the most anticipated in the sport, has not come to fruition.

One source says Mayweather is no longer concerned about his reputation about a tarnished image if he does not get in the ring with Pacquiao. “He does not want to answer questions to the media and is ignoring the Pacquiao issue,” is the claim. And it is claimed that Mayeweather is back in the gym for visits and not preparing for another opponent.

Though Pacquiao is always a topic of conversation for Mayweather, the fight to him holds no significance at this point. “Right now” says the source, “He is focused on his family and legal issues.” The legal problems outside the ring always seem to hinder Mayweather, who remains undefeated and may no longer be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business.

Because Pacquiao has been the busy fighter, preparing for a showdown with Shane Mosley, there is little argument that Mayweather is the elite fighter. However that does not appear to be a concern with Mayweather who continues to go about his business.

Last year when Pacquiao and Antonio Margaritio had their press tour in New York City, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer was asked? Will the fight happen? “When Mayweather runs out of money, I guess,” was his brief response. But Mayweather isn’t all about money even though that has been the word tagged before his name. To him it is pride and having the proper frame of mind to get in the ring with Pacquiao.

There has been this theory that perhaps, Mayweather is afraid of Pacquiao. That the issue of Pacquiao undergoing Olympic style blood testing was another example of Mayweather avoiding the fight, was no longer when Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum consented that his fighter would go with the plan.

And then we heard no more. “What we forget is that Floyd is a person that needs his time to devote to issues outside the ring,” says the source close to the Mayweather camp. “This issue of Mayweather being afraid of Pacquiao is nonsense and all talk. He is not obsessed with Pacquiao and Floyd goes about his business.”

We know that. Mayweather has never backed away from an opponent. However the fight that was supposed to happen, what would in all probability gross the highest pay-per view revenue, is no closer to reality as when it was first talked about two years ago.

Maywather and Don King were seen often in Las Vegas last month at the Miguel Cotto-Ricardo Mayorga fight. So there were all types of speculation. Was King now involved in the process of getting Mayweather back in the ring? Of course there was more speculation because King and Arum after a five year hiatus were back in business together as promoters of the Cotto-Mayorga fight.

But that all dissipated when King left Vegas and Mayweather again going into seclusion. “They have been friends for years and it was two guys getting together talking about life, business and boxing of course,” said the source.

Arum has moved on and his opponent, Mayweather apparently has also moved on with his plans to stay put. And for the moment, Top Rank is mute about the issue of putting this fight together. In the meantime Pacquiao continues, and after the Mosley fight there may be one or two left before he hangs up the gloves and devotes fulltime commitments to his congressional responsibilities in the Philippines.

Poole concludes with this thought regarding Pacquiao, about a fight that may never happen: “Whomever he fights, he will be shadowboxing underneath a small photo of Floyd Mayweather, imagining how he could vanquish his biggest rival.” And for the sport and the fans, it is a crying shame.

The reality is, as days continue to pass, this is probably the closest Pacquiao comes to a showdown with Mayweather.

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