For years, Floyd Mayweather has danced around the ring and avoided punches, perhaps only dodging Manny Pacquiao with more consistency. After years of trying to get these two megastars in the ring together but failing miserably, it appears another attempt is being made, with HBO and Showtime willing to work together on a pay-per-view event, per Edward Chaykovsky of TheBoxingScene.com.
The bout would take place in 2015 if something can be agreed upon between the two fighters. Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum is the man attempting to make it work, in a similar vein to when Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson fought in 2002. CBS Corporation president and CEO Leslie Moonves is running point on this deal, hoping to put together a blockbuster event that would even bring in the casual sweet science fan.
Arum is teeming with excitement about the possible fight, claiming he has more confidence in it coming to fruition than in past years.
“The networks are now already talking,” said Arum to GMA News. “I am now more optimistic that the fight is going to happen than I was three of four years ago. I am talking to responsible people who are in touch with the Mayweather guys. All of those people have the ability to move it ahead and make it happen.”
CBS, which owns Showtime, has a six-fight contract with Mayweather while Pacquiao is contracted by HBO, making a pact between the two pay-cable giants an obvious choice. One of the main hurdles to make this fight happen takes place on Saturday, when Pacquiao takes on Chris Algieri in defense of his title. Should Pacquiao lose, the interest in a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown would sink even more drastically.
Despite preparing for his upcoming fight, Pacquiao took time to take shots at Mayweather, claiming the American is the man who has been ducking from this matchup, per the Daily Telegraph.
“Though I’m ready to fight him anytime, anywhere – it’s him who refuses. I’ve made it clear that I want to fight him – it’s up to him now.
It’s obvious he is avoiding a fight with me. He always makes excuses. Just make the fight and stop talking.”
There have been negotiations going on between Mayweather and Pacquiao since 2009, when the pair could not agree on the style of drug testing that would be conducted. In 2011 and 2012, after Mayweather took racist shots at Pacquiao via a UStream video, the talks began again only to see them dissipate over the share in revenues, per Dan Rafael of ESPN.
Should the dream fight finally happen, the ideal destination would be Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The stadium has a massive seating capacity of 105,000. Considering there would be additional seating on the field, the revenue streams for everyone involved would be tremendous. Then again, that’s been true for several years and the fight still hasn’t happened yet.
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About Matt Verderame
Matt Verderame, 26, is a New Yorker who went to school at the frozen tundra of SUNY Oswego. After graduating, Verderame has worked for Gannett and SB Nation among other ventures.