Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: Fans Should Be Realistic About Prospective Superfight

Be careful what you wish for. Boxing fans clamoring to see Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in the worst way may get exactly that.

Boxing's seemingly gone through the same song and dance for at least the last five years. Just as the superfight appears one step closer to becoming real, some hurdle proves insurmountable, and everything goes back to square one.

But this time it's different, maybe? Who knows anymore?

Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole reported that Pacquiao has done his part by meeting Mayweather halfway with a few of his demands:

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Promoter Bob Arum told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms for a May 2 bout with Floyd Mayweather, and that the only thing in the way of the long-awaited fight occurring is Mayweather's approval.

Arum said Mayweather's representatives have also agreed to the deal but have not been able to get Mayweather's agreement. However, there is no verification from anyone representing Mayweather whether Arum's side is accurate. ...

The sources told Yahoo Sports that not only have the sides agreed for the fight to be May 2 at the MGM, but also on a 60/40 purse split that would favor Mayweather. Mayweather could make in the range of $120 million. An MGM spokesman told Yahoo Sports that there was no deal for the fight to be held at the Grand Garden as far as he is aware.

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"Top Rank and Manny have agreed to the terms on our side. I don't know about the other side," said Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix added to the optimism but also presented a very real snag between HBO and Showtime—Pacquiao's and Mayweather's respective contracted pay-per-view networks:

Those fans still hoping to see Mayweather and Pacquiao clash should remain realistic in that this fight has had more than its share of false dawns. Until the two fighters have a press conference to officially announce the bout and the ink is dry on the contract, any excitement is to a certain level premature.

Sure, it's nice to see that Pacquiao and Top Rank are willing to negotiate, but there's also the little matter of getting Mayweather to agree to terms. Given how shrewd he's been in past negotiations, Mayweather will make sure to wring every possible benefit out of the contract.

Should Mayweather and Pacquiao actually make it happen, fans should also be practical in terms of what the fight will actually be.

Commercially, the bout should be a rousing success and break every sort of revenue record imaginable. This is the last real must-see event boxing has left for the foreseeable future. No sports fan will want to miss this.

Aesthetically, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao won't be anywhere near as rewarding. Although both remain among the best pound-for-pound stars going, that's more an indictment on the sport as a whole.

Should May 2 be the official date, Mayweather will be 38 years old and Pacquiao 36. Both are showing signs of their age, Pacquiao more so than Mayweather. The former is losing his knockout power, while the latter reverts to his defensive shell even more so than he did in the past.

MARK J. TERRILL/Associated Press

Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson is the ultimate example of a highly anticipated fight happening years past its sell-by date. Tyson was so far gone in terms of talent that he didn't stand a chance against Lewis. While the event broke a record for pay-per-view revenue, the spectacle was spoiled by the gulf between the two fighters.

Neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao has aged as poorly as Tyson, but there's no question that what would've been a guaranteed Fight of the Year candidate five years ago is no longer so.

None of this is not to say that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would be a complete bust and not worth anyone's time. Rather, the hype surrounding the fight should acknowledge the clear flaws in each fighter. In addition, nobody should claim that this fight would save boxing or single-handedly make the sport relevant in the mainstream again.

As long as fans go into Mayweather vs. Pacquiao with the right mindset, everybody should go home happy.