Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao: What's The Real Deal?

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Who knows what the real story is, but the one thing I know about the IRS is they have beaten richer, better connected and even more arrogant people than Floyd, Jr. in the past. If Floyd thinks he can use his feints and dodges with the Feds like he does his boxing opponents he is gonna get his head handed to him.

Either way, there had to be a fighter or two that Floyd was eying to get back in the limelight and make some money. Rumored to be on the top of his list was the new pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao.

Skip ahead to the Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight. Manny does the impossible and beats the bigger man. Making him not just the reigning pound for pound king in most people eyes, but also the biggest BO draw in the sport.

Suddenly, everyone wants a piece of Manny and the offers start flying. But the one guy, Pacquiao's people want is Floyd, Jr.

How do I know this? because Freddy Roach told me so, that's how.

But Floyd being Floyd says he wants a 60-40 split. Which I'm sorry to say is not just ridiculous, it was insulting.

But Mayweather wouldn't budge and Pacquiao took the Hatton deal instead figuring if he destroys Hatton like he and Freddy planned Floyd would have to come back to the bargaining table and accept a 50-50 split.

This also fit Pacquiao's schedule of fighting two or three more times before he retired. Which is another monkey wrench in the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga.

See, Manny Pacquiao is a different cat than most fighters. Because he really does see his boxing career as a way to help his people. Cynical people may scoff, but it's true.

Manny already ran for a Senate seat and you want to know why he lost? Because his opponent argued that if Manny won the race he would stop boxing and that was cited by most voters as the reason they voted against Manny. He was more valuable as a fighter.

The next time Manny runs, he's not going to let that happen.

So, now Manny gets ready to fight Hatton under the assumption that as soon as the fight is over negotiations on the Mayweather fight would start in earnest.

But once again, the mercurial Floyd Mayweather had other plans. Hours before the Hatton-Pacquiao fight takes place, Mayweather announces that he is back. The worst kept secret in boxing is out of the bag.

But instead of fighting Pacquiao like every boxing fan wants him to do, he's going to fight Juan Manuel Marquez.

Most of the Pacquiao camp is furious with this decision, all except Bob Arum. Because now Arum can push for the fight he wanted all along with Miguel Cotto. Why does Arum want Cotto? Because he promotes both fighters and he gets to keep 100% of the profits instead of 50%.

But as much as Bob pushes for the fight, Manny won't sign. Why? Because he's wants to wait for the Mayweather Marquez fight in July before he makes any decision.

That's because the only fight Manny and Freddy really want is with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

At this point, I could digress into the whole Shane Mosely fake presser fiasco, or the weird wacky world of bad reporting out of the Phillipines where Manny going to the store is front page news and Pacquiao shouting "yeah, maybe" in Tagalog to a question becomes an exclusive interview and then rehashed on boxing sites in the states.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?