Manny Pacquiao Taunts Floyd Mayweather, Slams Money's Fighting Style
Floyd "Money" Mayweather called out Manny Pacquiao in an interview with Showtime earlier in the week, per Gareth Davies of The Telegraph, and Pacquiao has responded to the American's words in boisterous fashion.
According to the Filipino, the pound-for-pound king has decided to challenge him only because he has nowhere else to turn. Manny went on to taunt Money regarding his fighting style, claiming most of Mayweather's previous fights have had a soporific effect, per Sky Sports:
"He (Mayweather) has reached a dead end. He has nowhere to run but to fight me.
I will try my best to make this a thrilling and entertaining fight. But I doubt if he's gonna engage me in a slugfest.
You all know his fighting style. Most of his previous fights, if not all, induced us to sleep.
"
Talk of a potential superfight reached hyperbolic levels when Pacquiao called out Mayweather following his dismantling of Chris Algieri. Money has been accused of ducking Pac-Man in the past, but in the aforementioned interview with Showtime, he said he wants to fight Manny on May 2 next year.
There may be some truth behind Pacquiao's suggestion that Mayweather's fights can be a little boring, as touched upon here by ESPN's Dan Rafael after Manny's win over Algieri:
Pacquiao’s claim that Mayweather has nowhere else to go may not be entirely accurate, though. After a classy victory over Devon Alexander, British fighter Amir Khan has thrown his hat in the ring for a potential bout with the undefeated champion. Speaking with Sky Sports, the 28-year-old said he felt he was deserving of a shot at Mayweather:
"I think the fight (with Mayweather) now has to be touching distance away.
I have proven in the boxing world and in the 147-pound division how good Amir Khan is. I really belong with the top guys and it’s all about getting that big superfight.
I really believe I have the style to give Floyd the biggest problems. Floyd has never fought anyone as quick as me and someone who is quicker than him so, yeah, I definitely want the fight.
"
Khan responded well to a couple of crushing defeats earlier in his career, and there's little doubt his blistering speed will cause problems for even the best fighters.
Paul Hayward of The Telegraph thinks the Brit is deserving of a big pay day:
But there's only one fight fans across the globe want to see. And with barbs coming from both Mayweather and Pacquiao in recent weeks, there seems to finally be something tangible from each camp that points toward a potential fight happening.
Nonetheless, ESPN's Skip Bayless thinks Money's proclamations are just hollow words:
Khan is worthy of facing a stellar opponent, but with Mayweather looking increasingly likely to fight Manny in May, just one fight would remain on his Showtime contract. Unfortunately for the Brit, that fight is scheduled for September, a time of the year during which Khan will fast for the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
If Mayweather intends to retire after the fulfilment of the remaining two fights on his contract, Khan might not have the chance to fight the American. Unfortunately, it looks like the timing of Khan's ascension may have been poor, although QPR defender Rio Ferdinand has offered to help him out:
Pacquiao has always emitted the aura of a man who is ready to take on Mayweather, and it's imperative the fight happens next spring. Both fighters are arguably past their primes, and if they put the scrap on hold for any longer, there's a danger it might not live up to the hype.
If it is to go ahead, expect Manny to make good on his promise of getting after the undefeated American with his patented ferocity. He'll do his utmost to make it a bout for the ages, but his words will do little to entice Mayweather into a slugfest. All that will matter to him is having his arm raised in victory at the end of 12 rounds.
