Manny Pacquiao hasn't even touched gloves with Brandon Rios for their much-awaited boxing showdown this weekend in Macau, China. But that hasn't stopped Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, from using the spotlight to drum up a potential mega bout next May against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Martin Domin of the Daily Mail relayed comments from Arum, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Top Rank Promotions, coming just days before Saturday's Pacquiao vs. Rios clash:
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao could finally meet next year in boxing's biggest-ever fight.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum, who promotes the Filipino superstar, insisted there is genuine will on his part to make the long-awaited clash happen should Pacquiao overcome the relentless Brandon Rios in Macau this weekend.
Conservative estimates value the fight at a staggering $300 million.
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"There is no real impediment to having that fight happen whether it will or not depends completely on the Mayweather side," Arum said. "I can see it happening but I can't predict that it will happen because it takes two to tango."
The $300 million figure would shatter the current record of money generated during a fight. Mayweather's lopsided win over Canelo Alvarez earlier this year reportedly generated roughly $200 million in revenue, and it stands as the richest fight in the history of boxing, per Tim Dahlberg of The Associated Press.
While he might be getting ahead of himself, Arum is wise to use his visibility to promote the Pacquiao-Mayweather matchup that boxing has been waiting on for years. But it's not like we haven't heard this before.
The two sides were close to fighting in March 2010 after Pacquiao reportedly signed an agreement in December 2009. By January, both Pacquiao and Mayweather declared they would be fighting other opponents.
During the negotiations, both sides became engaged in a public finger-pointing match about who was to blame for putting the fight on hold, while much of the controversy stemmed from a pre-fight drug testing agreement.
Aside from the animosity between the two camps, there is also the major issue of TV rights for the potential May fight. While Mayweather is in the midst of an exclusive six-fight, 30-month deal with Showtime, Top Rank boxers like Pacquiao must box on HBO. According to Domin's report, Arum cited the 2002 Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson fight as one when HBO and Showtime could work together to promote an event successfully.
Though Arum certainly holds weight in the world of boxing as a Hall of Fame promoter, his comments don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. The dynamics of this potential bout have changed in the past three-plus years, as Mayweather holds all the leverage now with his undefeated record and champion status intact.
In fact, Amir Khan was reportedly locked in with a $200 million agreement to fight Mayweather earlier this year, but Dan Rafael of ESPN.com recently reported those claims are premature after talking to Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe.
In Rafael's report, Ellerbe made a blunt but true statement regarding Mayweather's next bout:
Floyd determines how, when, where and what he is doing. He is calling all the shots. So until you hear it from Floyd it is what it is -- rumors. We're not even thinking about what's next. We ain't working on nothin'.
If there's going to be a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight it's going to be on Mayweather's terms, and you can be sure he's going to be demanding. If the two sides couldn't come to an agreement last time when Pacquiao had more power at the negotiating table, it seems unlikely we'll ever get to see this fight come to fruition.
One thing that could make this happen is the fact that Pacquiao, 34, and Mayweather, 36, are both near the end of their careers, and the window for this massive opportunity is closing. But if the previous dealings between the two camps are any indication, there's a lot of work to be done.
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