Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao Will Never Fight and Fans Will Lose
Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar De La Hoya said earlier this week that he soon expects to have a signed agreement for undefeated โPretty Boyโ Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight WBA welterweight super champion โSugarโ Shane Mosley in May.
โThe various camps are working extremely hard to make it happen,โ said De La Hoya, a retired former boxing world champion in six weight divisions. โThatโs the fight that could really take boxing to another level, because itโs two great American fighters meeting each other.โ
De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs), who won a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, proceeded to speculate that Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) will still meet WBO world welterweight titlist Manny โPac-Manโ Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) in the near future.
โThat fight has to happen,โ said De La Hoya, who was absolutely embarrassed by Pacquiao via an eighth round TKO when they fought in December 2008. โItโs too big not to happen. We just have to cross one hurdle.โ
The โone hurdleโ mentioned by De La Hoya regards Mayweatherโs insistence that both he and Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing prior to any bout.
Pacquiao has never tested positive for any form of banned substance and Mayweatherโs charges are truly baseless at this juncture.
Nevertheless, some onlookers have become understandably skeptical of Pacquiao due to his staunch reluctance to adhere to Mayweatherโs proposed testing methods.
โThe public will hopefully make him change his mind,โ said De La Hoya. โWhy would you not want to earn $40 million? Why would you not want to show the public that all this speculation is nonsense? Be the one to stand up and say it.โ
Instead of Mayweather, Pacquiao is now scheduled to box former IBF welterweight champion Joshua โThe Hitterโ Clottey (35-3-0-1, 20 KOs) March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
Provided that a deal is reached, Mayweather will rather ironically scrap Mosley (46-5-1, 39 KOs), an admitted abuser of steroids.
โI believe Mosley will raise his hand and say, โTake me to the laboratory,โโ said De La Hoya, who lost a split decision to a doped-up Mosley in June 2000. โAnd Iโll be the first to applaud him.โ
Clottey is an above average fighter and he consistently battles with heart in the ring.
Still, Pacquiao should ultimately overwhelm Clottey with his vast abilities and emerge victorious when they meet.
On the contrary, it is difficult to predict with any firm confidence that Mayweather will be able to trump the talented Mosley.
โStyles make fights,โ said Roger "Pitโ Perron, 73, a respected boxing trainer from Brockton, MA who now works with Mike and Rich Cappiello at their gym, Cappiello Brothers Boxing and Training. โMosley is the one guy that can beat Floyd. Mosley has quick hands, he will press the fight, and he is a legit welterweight who has fought real champions.โ
Perron also stated his belief that Mosley will actually prove to be a more difficult opponent for Mayweather than Pacquiao would have been.
โMosley is a tough guy. I think Floyd would have beaten Pacquiao. But, I donโt know if Floyd can take Mosley.โ
Boxing fans want, and deserve, to see Pacquiao versus Mayweather.
Sadly, boxing has aptly been called โthe red light district of sportsโ and fans rarely receive what they want.
Joshua Clottey will likely lose to Manny Pacquiao, and Shane Mosley very possibly will upset Floyd Mayweather.
Subsequently, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will never fight.
Typically, boxing and its deprived fans will be the biggest losers yet again.
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