A recent survey on the much-desired fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather reveals close to 60% of about 2,000 respondents believe the fight most boxing fans in the world want to see will no longer happen.
The primary reason for their obvious loss of appetite on the fight that appears to be the biggest and most lucrative bout in boxing history is Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum, who they said is standing in the path of negotiations. They claimed the long wait has consumed and wasted their time for the past three years.
Critics say Arum prefers contract fighters of his own Top Rank Promotions fighting each other in order to maximize his profits. Mayweather is being promoted by Top Rank's rival Golden Boy Promotions of Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather and De La Hoya had sad experiences with Arum as former Top Rank fighters. Both have put up their own promotion companies and they became Arum's business rivals. Business jealousy is one angle causing the breakdown in past negotiations.
The other reason is both fighters are pricing themselves out or creating roadblocks to successful negotiations by imposing unreasonable terms and conditions.
Some of these roadblocks include disagreement on random drug testing protocols, unsettled purse splits and fight venues, among others.
Fight fans, depending on which side they belong, say they have given up on the prospect of watching the fight after a long and wasted waiting time.
Three years ago Pacquiao and Mayweather have challenged each other to an ultimate boxing showdown to determine who among them is the better fighter.
Mayweather claimed he is the greatest fighter of this generation on account of his unblemished career in boxing while Pacquiao wanted to prove Mayweather wrong, claiming he could deliver Mayweather's first loss of his career.
Since then Pacquiao and Mayweather have had a bitter fight—but not in the ring and not in front of their most passionate fans.
For the past three years they have fought furiously in the media and became overnight Internet stars with millions of fans around the world cheering for them.
Fans have helped them bag lucrative endorsements which boost their incomes outside the ring. They became superstars courtesy of their adoring fans.
It is sad to note that these two supposedly great boxing professionals have failed their fans by not giving in to their wishes despite the support they have given.
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