Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: Chances of Superfight Continue to Fade Away

UPDATE: Thursday, January 19th at 5:30 p.m. EST

Might Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. finally be on their way to staging the mega-fight that boxing so desperately needs?

Recent developments would suggest that they just might be. According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, Mayweather reached out directly to Pacquiao this week, speaking to him by phone in the Philippines. Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather's closest advisors, refused to divulge the details of their conversation, but did confirm that it took place:

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"Floyd called him last night and the context of the conversation is between the two of them.

"I can't say what exactly was said but I know, but Floyd wants to fight Manny Pacquiao on May 5 and he went as far as to reach out to Manny Pacquiao personally last night. Floyd has shown more than a willingness to get this fight done and this is really, really what he wants to do and what he wants to give to the fight fans."

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Mayweather would prefer to fight Pacquiao on May 5th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, a date and location he's already reserved, before he begins a 90-day jail sentence in June. Pacquiao's camp is more inclined for a date sometime in June in part because Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter and the CEO of Top Rank Promotions, wants to construct a temporary 40,000-seat stadium on the Las Vegas Strip to boost the spectacle of the fight.

Assuming both parties remain firm in their demands, a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight wouldn't likely be feasible until November or December.

In any case, the fact that Money May and Pac-Man are in close communication is a good sign for the future of this mega-fight. These conversations should allow the two fighters to cut through the animosity, if not set it aside entirely, so they can get down to the brass tacks of putting on an event that everyone wants to see.

If nothing else, it's a far cry from the old days of their respective camps flinging insults and challenges at each other through the media rather than negotiating directly.

That, in itself, has to be considered progress in this long and frustrating saga.

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Sadly, the latest comments from Bob Arum do nothing to change the feeling that superstars Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will never step in the ring together.

Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene reports Pacquiao's promoter attempted to backtrack comments from Sports Illustrated about his fighter's next opponent, but he didn't come anywhere close to guaranteeing a bout with Mayweather.

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“June 9 is our Plan B for Manny Pacquiao,” Arum told Boxingscene.com Wednesday evening. “Our Plan A is the same that it has been for the past few weeks, to fight Floyd Mayweather at the end of May.”

When exactly the fight can take place has become the latest hurdle in a superfight now more than two years in the waiting. Mayweather recently went on record during a Wednesday afternoon function to insist that he is obligated to fight on May 5 at the MGM Grand.

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While it seems like the ongoing drama is getting a new chapter on a daily basis, none of them are getting boxing fans closer to the dream bout. Both sides continue to hold their ground about a potential May fight and neither camp is ready to budge.

Each passing day makes it less likely a deal can be reached since both sides have to start working on other fights for when this one inevitably falls through.

It's a frustrating reality for boxing fans who have been dying to see the sport's two biggest stars battle for years now. A bout between Pac-Man and Money May is the only one that could truly revitalize the sport, but neither camp seems to care about that or the potentially massive payday which would come with it.

The situation has reached a point where I wish the two sides would just release a joint statement saying a deal couldn't be reached so everybody could move on with their lives. A media battle isn't helping anybody involved.

There's been a lot of talk about which side deserves more blame for the failed negotiations. In reality, those discussions only fuel the fire of each camp to win the headline battle instead of focusing on actually getting a deal done.

Trying to get the most money possible is one thing, but holding fans hostage for months on end further exhibits the problems with boxing.

It's a dying sport and the two men who could save it apparently have no interest in doing so, leaving supporters out to dry once again.