Manny Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum believes the fight every boxing fan wants to see could now become a reality with the entry of 50 Cent (aka Curtis Jackson) in the boxing promotions business; a field dominated by two major players in Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions.
50 Cent, who made his fortune as a rapper, actor and producer, is a business partner and close friend of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But Arum is uncertain if Mayweather will be fighting under the umbrella of TMT (The Money Team) Promotions, which was recently organized by 50 Cent.
Until his latest fight against Miguel Cotto, Mayweather has been using Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) to help promote his fights. So far he has fought six times under GBP, and everyone is anticipating he will junk GBP in favor of TMT.
It has been reported that Mayweather is 50 Cent's partner in TMT Promotions, but the unbeaten champion, who is set to be released in a few days after serving 60 days in jail on charges of domestic violence, has yet to confirm his role in TMT.
For three years, a number of attempts were made to bring Pacquiao and Mayweather up in the ring for all boxing fans to watch and enjoy, but all efforts have failed due to major contentious issues standing in the way of the superfight, ranging from drug-testing protocols to the manner of splitting the fight purse.
The entry of 50 Cent in the game gave boxing fans renewed hope to see Mayweather and Pacquiao face each other right in front of them either on television or in person on a designated venue.
Still, some observers doubt 50 Cent's ability to deal with Arum, who is expected to hold his ground on his offer of 55-45-10 purse sharing as an alternative proposal to Mayweather's offer of $40 million net of pay-per-view sales proceeds which Pacquiao has turned down, saying it was an embarrassing offer.
But Arum has not talked anything negative about 50 Cent and TMT. In fact, he said he is rooting for them.
"I wish [50 Cent] and his company a lot of luck, because he has, in his business career, been able to energize the African American community and to reach out to them. If he does that as he expects to do in boxing, then that will help everybody in boxing," Arum told RingTV.
"It would be just in the same way that we have helped everybody in boxing when we energized the Hispanic American community and got them involved in the sport to where (they are the) biggest fans now. I really and truly wish them the best of luck, and I'm rooting for them."
Meanwhile, the lawyers of Pacquiao and Mayweather are set to meet on Friday to smooth out kinks in the live suit filed by Pacquiao against Mayweather et al for defamation.
It may be recalled that Pacquiao sued Mayweather last year after the unbeaten champion made allegations Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs for added strength in his fights, which Pacquiao has denied.
"If both camps agree on something that will result to something amicable, it should play a pivotal part in staging a fight between boxing’s biggest stars as efforts to bring them together have failed in the last two years," Nick Giongko of mb.com.ph wrote.
Mayweather is expected to issue statements on the TMT issue and his plans for his next fight after completing his jail term this month.
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