The long-rumored, highly anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) may have just gotten a date for it to finally go down.
Mayweather appeared on Showtime Sports on Friday night where he declared that he wants his next fight to be against Pacquiao.
“We want the fight, we are ready,” Mayweather said. “Let’s make it happen on May 2. Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. Let’s do it.” May 2 is the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend, a time that Mayweather regularly schedules fights.
Mayweather called out Pacquiao and his team:
“So let’s make this fight happen. Manny Pacquiao, (Top Rank promoter) Bob Arum, you guys have been ducking us for years. We’re tired of you guys fooling the public, fooling the critics. You guys didn’t want to take random blood and urine testing, so that’s why it didn’t happen. Then I offered you $40 million, then you didn’t want to make the fight happen. You lost twice, now you coming back begging for the same money. That’s not gonna happen.”
Pacquiao is coming off an impressive win over Chris Algieri last month in Macau, China. Mayweather defeated Marcos Maidana in a rematch with a unanimous decision in September at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Pac-Man has been very vocal about wanting a rematch with the 37-year-old Mayweather, but this is the first public acknowledgement by Floyd. “I wanted that fight a long time ago and I am just waiting on them,” declared Mayweather.
There have been various reasons why this fight has not gone down in the past; not surprisingly, many of the disagreements have revolved around money. Many believe that Mayweather was avoiding Pacquiao by making lopsided financial demands. Pacquiao has said that Mayweather offered him a $40 million purse on the condition Mayweather would keep the pay-per-view money, which would be more than double that of what the Filipino boxing star would have received. Other negotiations for a fight stalled because Mayweather says Pacquiao refused to submit to random blood testing.
“I am not ducking or dodging any opponent. Bob Arum is stopping the fight,” Mayweather said. “You lost twice now and you are coming back begging for the same money. That is not going to happen.”
Mayweather also hinted Friday that this much-hyped rematch could be his last fight, “I want to go out with a bang.” However he has said that quite often to boost ticket and pay=per-view sales.
Hopefully this actually happens this time and not just public negotiating.