$40,000,000.......$40,000,000....a lot of us would do some things we would never want to do for that amount of money. All that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao had to do was sign the dotted line and missed, in a big way. This blow to Boxing is serious. Pacquiao, recently on the cover of Time Magazine, is a worldwide figure and Mayweather is well known in the States and UK for his fights with De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. This fight was going to be huge, I mean Godzilla huge, a media monster that would have destroyed all other things in its path on March 13th.
The dispute that was the eventual undoing of the Mega Fight of all Mega Fights was a commonly talked about item in sports today, steroids. The Mayweather Camp, after Pacquiao's destruction of former Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto, began blindly accusing Pacquiao of steroid use, with no cause or proof. Not cool. Pacquiao is a proud fighter who wont stand for BS with Mayweather, and filed a defamation suit soon following the accusation. Mayweather wanted, during training camp, for both fighters to be blood tested randomly with Olympic style testing, Pacquiao disagreed. Many say that shows Pacquiao is guilty, but I am going to play Al Pacino (Devil's Advocate) here and say hes not guilty...hes proud. He doesn't want Mayweather to be making the decisions and considers himself to be the top biller. Pac-Man eventually, during the negotiations agreed to 3 blood tests(1 during the press week kick off, 1 24 days before the fight, and 1 directly after the fight in his dressing room) ,along with the urine tests and other test that the Nevada State Athletic Commission would put each fighter through. Even after this Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions found it to be easier to walk away from the biggest pay-day in Boxing history...simply astonishing...and awfully stupid(financially, and for the sport).
These types of problems are what is hurting Boxing today. The 2 very best Pound for Pound combatants on the planet and we cant get them in the ring, not even for $40,000,000....how?!?! The things I would do for $40,000,000 would make my great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents spin in their graves. I certainly, without hesitation, would fight someone of equal size and ability.
If this fight never happens it will be one of the biggest loses to boxing and its fans.......but lets go over some options for each of these knuckleheads since this fight is, for the time being, on the back burner.....
Pacquiao's Options:
1)Wait, and fight the winner of the Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto fight at the end of the month. But since this fight is so soon, both fighters will want at least 7-8 months before stepping in with the Pacman which would leave Pacquiao being inactive for 10 months...not a good idea.
2) Take on either Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan, or Paul Malignaggi. Bradley would be the most dangerous of the 3. Undefeated, strong chin, and good boxing skills. Khan packs a big punch and is a star in the UK which would help with the $ aspect. He also has a chin made of china. Paul "never at a loss for words" Malignaggi is a very crafty boxer excellent speed, footwork, and defense. Paulie's problem is he is very feather fisted and couldn't crack and egg.(Also Mayweathers probable opponent.)
3)The Rubber Match-Juan Manuel "I drink my own piss" Marquez. These 2 battled in 2 bloody wars, which when the scorecards are combined are decided by just 1 point in the favor of Pacquiao. Problem, and trap here, is that since Mayweather made JMM look like a fool when they fought in September, Pacquiao would have to destroy him and look good doing it to warrant the thought of the fight being put back on.
Mayweather's Options:
1)Drop Leonard Ellerbe
2)Tie up loose ends with I.R.S.
3)Paul "Hair Extensions" Malignaggi at MSG. With Paul's strong NYC following, and the fact that everyone in the boxing world wants both of these guys to get punched in the mouth, this would be an easy sell.
4) Insert the #1 option for Pacquiao, except make it 1 year of inactivity.
5) Fight Antonio "Hands of Stone....seriously I have plaster in here" Margarito when he is reinstated and put on a clinic against the straight forward punching plodder.
6) Retire....again.
Pacquiao's Options:
1)Wait, and fight the winner of the Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto fight at the end of the month. But since this fight is so soon, both fighters will want at least 7-8 months before stepping in with the Pacman which would leave Pacquiao being inactive for 10 months...not a good idea.
2) Take on either Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan, or Paul Malignaggi. Bradley would be the most dangerous of the 3. Undefeated, strong chin, and good boxing skills. Khan packs a big punch and is a star in the UK which would help with the $ aspect. He also has a chin made of china. Paul "never at a loss for words" Malignaggi is a very crafty boxer excellent speed, footwork, and defense. Paulie's problem is he is very feather fisted and couldn't crack and egg.(Also Mayweathers probable opponent.)
3)The Rubber Match-Juan Manuel "I drink my own piss" Marquez. These 2 battled in 2 bloody wars, which when the scorecards are combined are decided by just 1 point in the favor of Pacquiao. Problem, and trap here, is that since Mayweather made JMM look like a fool when they fought in September, Pacquiao would have to destroy him and look good doing it to warrant the thought of the fight being put back on.
Mayweather's Options:
1)Drop Leonard Ellerbe
2)Tie up loose ends with I.R.S.
3)Paul "Hair Extensions" Malignaggi at MSG. With Paul's strong NYC following, and the fact that everyone in the boxing world wants both of these guys to get punched in the mouth, this would be an easy sell.
4) Insert the #1 option for Pacquiao, except make it 1 year of inactivity.
5) Fight Antonio "Hands of Stone....seriously I have plaster in here" Margarito when he is reinstated and put on a clinic against the straight forward punching plodder.
6) Retire....again.
Both of these little warriors of the squared circle have plenty of options...but the best one is each other.
Here is what we are missing out on........(my views of both boxers are not reflected by the comments added by the creator of the video)......
What could have been...
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