Floyd Mayweather Should Not Be Forced into Matchup vs. Manny Pacquiao

Virtually every boxing fan around the world is waiting for Floyd Mayweather to take on Manny Pacquiao. Unfortunately, this still seems unlikely to take place.

This bout has been discussed and dreamed about for a long time, but the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement. It is nothing short of embarrassing that two of the best boxers of their generation—who compete in similar weight classes—cannot get into a ring to decide who is best.

Additionally, there would be a lot of money on the line if this fight were to take place, as BoxingInsider.com pointed out last year:

As Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes points out, the potential matchup would likely break the record for pay-per-view buys of 2.5 million, but "the matchup has been derailed by drug testing, purse splits and egos."

The topic is brought up at least a few times each year, but fans are now clamoring for it again after Mayweather won an uneventful rematch against Marcos Rene Maidana. ESPN's Skip Bayless was among the people provoking the champion:

There were also questions directed at Mayweather immediately after the match, in which the undefeated fighter responded, via Bleacher Report's Mick Akers:

It is clear this is the fight everyone wants to see. However, it is not the one Mayweather wants, with him having no reason to give in at this stage of his career.

The one thing everyone keeps pointing out is that this fight needs to happen to improve the boxer's legacy. This does not seem to be an issue for Mayweather, who is quite proud of what he has done to this point in his career. He explained after his latest match, via ESPN's Dan Rafael:

No matter what you think about the competitor, it is hard to discredit his 47-0 record. He has gone up against plenty of elite opponents throughout his career, including Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and many more, and defeated them all.

He has certainly not "ducked" anyone, with the possible exception of Pacquiao, and adding one more win to the resume will not make too big of a difference.

On the other hand, his undefeated record is what truly separates him from many other legendary boxers. Although the zero does not necessarily make him one of the best of all time, it is certainly his biggest claim to fame.

This means that he would be risking more than he would be getting in a possible fight against Pacquiao. At 37 years old, it would be insane to put a damper on the biggest part of a legacy.

Another reason this bout is unlikely to happen is because each side has its own interests to protect monetarily. In 2013, Mayweather signed a six-fight deal with Showtime to produce his PPV, likely to finish out his career. With Pacquiao usually appearing on HBO, this causes another standstill.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated provided the latest details:

As big as this potential bout would be, it does not make sense to give up a chance at future earnings with either one leaving their current deals.

Besides, Mayweather is making more than enough money to keep him happy. The boxer made a minimum of $32 million in his last fight against Maidana, plus a portion of pay-per-view sales, the gate, foreign television sales, sponsorships, merchandise and closed circuit sales, according to Rafael.

SportsCenter provided a look at how much he made over the course of the match:

Money Mayweather was the highest-paid athlete over the past year with a total revenue of $105 million, according to Forbes. He is past the point of needing to do events just for a big paycheck.

Considering the popular fighter can get this much money without Pacquiao, there is no reason to add him to the equation.

This whole situation remains a disappointment for fans of the sport. Looking from Mayweather's point of view, however, it makes sense to avoid the showdown. This should keep him from giving into peer pressure and being forced into a bout that will not help him at all.

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