Floyd Mayweather: Boxer's Career Won't Be Complete Without Manny Pacquiao Fight

Floyd Mayweather has won all 43 fights of his professional career, including victories over big names like Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley, but his career won't be complete until he steps into the ring with Manny Pacquiao.

The two sides have been talking about a potential super fight for more than two years without being able to reach an agreement. With each passing month the chances of a deal getting done gets worse, especially as both guys exit their prime.

Even though both sides will simply point fingers in the opposite direction when you ask which side should receive the blame, it's time for the fighters themselves to understand how important a fight would be for their careers and the sport as a whole.

Mayweather's undefeated record is impressive, there's no doubt about that, but would it really hold the same weight if he never fights the toughest opponent of his era? No chance. That would be a gaping hole in his otherwise flawless résumé.

Pacquiao is the one opponent that could validate all of Mayweather's claims about being the best. He has never been shy about running his mouth, which has actually helped his popularity. Whenever the "Pac-Man" topic comes up, however, he always starts blaming Bob Arum.

While Arum has certainly played a role in negotiations, if Mayweather wanted to get a fight done, he could do it. Both sides are to blame for their different stalling tactics, turning the entire situation into a media circus.

Mayweather should look past the money and all the other miscellaneous issues involved with fighting Pacquiao and just think about himself. If he walks away from the sport without ever facing his greatest test, he'll never get away from the “what if” questions.

For that reason alone Mayweather should do whatever it takes to get a deal done. As much as he loves denying it, he really needs this fight. He needs to face off with Pacquiao and prove he can back up all his years of trash talking.

It all comes down to legacy. When boxing fans look back at Mayweather's career 20 years from now every conversation would have to include the lack of a Pacquiao fight. It would be a dark cloud that follows Mayweather around forever.

So once Pacquiao finishes his bout with Timothy Bradley, Mayweather's camp should reach out and finish the deal. It's the best thing for he could do for his long-term impact on the sport.