Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: Mike Tyson Believes Superfight Will Happen

Former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson believes the highly-anticipated superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will happen at some point in the not-too-distant future.

“I just believe they're going to have a fight at some time. If they don't fight, that's the question mark of their era. What happened?” Tyson said Monday on The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000.

The Mayweather vs. Pacquiao so-called “Fight of the Century” has been on the boxing radar for several years, but on a number of occasions, negotiations between the two camps have fallen through.

Olympic-style drug testing, a Pacquiao lawsuit against Mayweather for defamation of character and monetary issues are just a few of the stumbling blocks that have been the catalyst in preventing the mega-fight from transpiring.

Most boxing purists as well as casual fans have waited with bated breath for a showdown between the two pound-for-pound greats, and in some quarters have demanded they fight.

However, Tyson sees it differently, which was in stark contrast to his recent suggestion of throwing both pugilists in jail if they didn’t fight.

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“They're two fighters, they should be able to do what they want to do," Tyson said. "We as fans want to see them fight, but if they're not happy, not comfortable fighting, they should be entitled to do what they want.

“I want to see the guys fight, and they know we want to see them fight and are going to pay as much as they ask us to see them. Until it happens, we don't know what's going to happen.”

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Also, the 45-year-old two-time titlist doesn’t buy the notion that “Money” is scared of locking horns with the “Pac-Man,” as some boxing fans have come to believe.

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“I don't know what Floyd thinks about this situation," Tyson said. "Maybe this is his strategy. Maybe he's waiting Pacquiao out. Who knows?

“I think he's awesome. He's just a young guy, caught up in...this is a serious, vicious system that we're in, this boxing business. And it's just tough.”

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Money, a five-division titlist, and Pac-Man have fought and defeated some of the best fighters of their generation.

Pacquiao, a Filipino Congressman and eight-division champion, has the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez (two victories and one draw) on his boxing résumé, as does Mayweather.

He has also defeated Erik Morales (two wins and a loss), Marco Antonio Barrera, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto—the latter of which Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs) is scheduled to contest the WBA super welterweight championship with on Cinco de Mayo.

Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) himself has a date to keep with Timothy Bradley, when he defends his WBO welterweight crown on June 9.

However, before either fighter can get this fight off the ground, they’ll first have to get past their respective opponents, as well as Mayweather’s 90-day stint in jail (a conviction for domestic violence), which commences on June 1.

That said, the former “Baddest Man on the Planet” believes when they eventually get in the ring together, it will be a great contest and not an affair marked by inequality.

“Absolutely, I'm interested in seeing two equally competitive fighters fight. That's going to be a fight, not no blowout.”

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