Listen Now:
by Hans Olson
Six days ago, the BBC ran a story suggesting that Manny Pacquiao had accepted Floyd Mayweather’s challenge to “step up.”
“This is the fight the world wants,” said Pacquiao in the BBC report.
And then…
“[But] Mayweather wants a guaranteed purse so what he has to do is get him a promoter who will give him the guarantee. I don’t have problems getting a guarantee because I have a promoter who will give me a guaranteed purse.”
That doesn’t really sound like accepting a challenge to me. It sounds more like “No.”
Like his Nike ad says, “Manny Knows” it’s a fight he cannot win. Why would Manny, for someone who leaves everything up to his promoter be concerning himself with who promotes Floyd? Floyd is his own promoter, and for the past few years…Golden Boy has assisted. If Floyd can or cannot find additional financial backing from outside sources, shouldn’t be a concern to the Filipino sensation.
The fact is, Floyd Mayweather has a date reserved at the MGM Grand for May 5th. Manny simply has to force the hand of his promoter Bob Arum (who, as Manny clearly states can guarantee him a purse without problem).
Yesterday, Floyd took his frustrations back to Twitter.
“First They say I’m Ducking the Fight. But now it seems like I’m begging for the fight.. What is going on?”
This was after Floyd proclaimed in an earlier quote that May 5 would be “Pacquiao Ass Whoopin Day.”
Oh, and about that whole guarantee that Manny seems to be so worried about?
“I’m ready to fight Pacquiao 5/5/12 Bob Arum know the date can’t change I have my guarantee call Schaefer & Al and stop lying to the public.”
Sounds to me like Floyd Knows.
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Not to be lost in the shuffle is the busy schedule Floyd has been keeping over the last few days. Today in Las Vegas, Mayweather gave $100,000 to officials from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure research and support foundation. The presentation was made at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas. Stephanie Kirby, the foundation’s executive, told The Associated Press that the donation will go a long way at the Las Vegas nonprofit, which operates with about a $1 million dollar budget annually.
Lawyers for the 42-0 welterweight champ had promised the sentencing judge in Floyd’s December domestic battery case that he would make the donation.
In addition to the donation, Floyd announced other endeavors he looks to launch in 2012. In his most recent post on Twitter, Floyd wrote “#TheMoneyTeam is going to make moves in tech this year. Follow me on AngelList: angel.co/floydmayweather”
With AngelList, Floyd invests, advises, and promotes companies based on his social marketing ability through various platforms of entertainment.
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Finally, the rumors are rampant on boxing and MMA forums everywhere…
Is Amir Khan going to get Floyd Mayweather on May 5?
The rumors went beyond the message boards. I received a few emails today from various insiders theorizing this match-up.
So are the whispers true?
In Tom Gray’s story on Seconds Out, he pointed to the fact that “Khan’s team inexplicably withdrew their appeal into December’s close decision loss to Lamont Peterson, and this could very well be the reason why.”
It sounds sort-of like a UFO conspiracy to me…but you never know…
Well, usually you do.
In an interview with ESPN’s Dan Rafael, Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer had cleared up the reasoning to their dropping of the IBF appeal.
“We’ve been reviewing everything, including the latest paperwork which we received from the IBF, and I sat down with Team Khan and we realized that based on the makeup of that hearing that it would have been a very one-sided story,” said Schaefer. “Since not everyone that was in Washington — the IBF officials and supervisor — would have been in attendance there would not have been a complete story told. You don’t go to hear a partial side of the story, so we decided to withdraw the appeal and focus our time on Amir’s next fight. We will be meeting with HBO (on Wednesday) and have something to announce soon as it relates to a date and site.”
Since the WBA had already ordered the rematch (Khan was both IBF and WBA Jr. welterweight champ going into the fight), it makes perfect sense as to why Khan’s team would, based on Shaefer’s statements about the hearings, move on to the negotiation period with Peterson’s team.
Rumors of an April rematch between Khan and Peterson are just as strong as those raging today of a Mayweather/Khan bout on May 5.
Could Mayweather fight Khan? Sure, it’s possible…I mean, there is that Golden Boy connection, along with Khan being trained by the same man who trains Manny Pacquiao…Freddie Roach. That would all add up to an intriguing promotion.
That said, if you study the guys Floyd fights…it’s rarely going to be someone who is coming off of a loss—controversially or not. Floyd understand the perception of doing that, and unless public opinion is so overwhelmingly for one side, the perception won’t be different. For example, most fans are fine with Derek Chisora getting a crack at Vitali Klitschko in February based on his robbery against Robert Helenius last year. That loss on “Del Boy’s” record can be overlooked based on public outcry.
With Khan/Peterson, it honestly feels more 50/50 listening to whom fans believed won. Maybe a major promotional buildup would change that…but it just doesn’t seem likely.
Boxing Insider’s Hans Olson can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @hansolson
