Take It or Leave It: Mayweather Insists on $40 Million Offer to Pacquiao

Barely two weeks before his date with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, unbeaten WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather has started talking again about his offer of $40 million guaranteed purse for his future foe Manny Pacquiao.

It may be recalled during the last leg of the press tour to promote his upcoming fight with Cotto, Mayweather said he's focused on his May 5 fight and not on Pacquiao.

But in a recent interview on "Speaking Out," a half-hour talk with respected author Michael Eric Dyson, a professor at Georgetown, Mayweather said his offer of $40 million guaranteed purse to face Pacquiao won't change.

Floyd told Dyson he indeed called Pacquiao and they chatted. He said Pacquiao wanted a 50-50 split. 

"My offer it won't change. I'm not budging. Forty million is what you are getting. Either you take it or you leave it...Manny Pacquiao needs Floyd Mayweather, Floyd Mayweather don't need Manny Pacquiao," he said.

Mayweather remains as one of the last two possible opponents of Pacquiao, who earlier expressed his desire to retire from boxing and continue a more challenging career in politics.

Pacquiao has recently bared his plan to run for governor of the province of Sarangani in next year's May elections. It is common knowledge that he has plans for higher political positions after his stint as governor of his province.

Bob Arum, Pacquiao's long-time promoter, told Examiner.com that the eight-division champion can't go into training camp with his hands tied in local day-to-day activities as the top local executive of his province.

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"If Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is not available to fight Pacquiao this November, then we'll do the Pacquiao-Marquez fight, and only if Juan Manuel Marquez wins against whoever his opponent would be on July 9," Arum said.

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Arum and Pacquiao have yet to react on the latest statement of Mayweather on his "take it or leave it" offer.

Mayweather is scheduled to face Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, while Pacquiao is set to collide with unbeaten Palm Springs boxing star Timothy Bradley also at the MGM Grand on June 9.