Manny Pacquiao: 5 Reasons a Fight With Floyd Mayweather Needs to Happen
Was Manny Pacquiao's less-than-spectacular performance against Shane Mosley a ploy to get Floyd Mayweather inside the ring with him?
Potentially the biggest fight in boxing between Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO) and Mayweather (41-0, 25 KO) isn't being set, and there are many simple, yet difficult reasons why it isn't happening.
This doesn't take away from why it needs to happen, and it needs to happen now more than ever before.
Pacquiao defeated common opponent Mosley, and even though it was more impressive than Mayweather's decision victory over the four-time world champion, fans are still disappointed in the pound-for-pound champ's performance.
He won a decision over 12 rounds, but it wasn't the typical fight we have come to expect from the eight-division world champion.
No. 5: They Aren't Getting Any Younger
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Lets hope Mayweather isn't waiting for Pacquiao to get old, because he's not getting any younger, either.
At 34, Mayweather only has a few more years left in the sport.
Luckily his defensive and calculated style gets better with experience and age. Plus, he takes virtually no damage in his fights. He's been hit hard maybe twice in five years; once in the Judah fight and once in the Mosley fight.
Pacquiao is 32 and has had a good amount of ring wars, including three bouts with Erik Morales, two with Marco Antonio Barrera and other fights with Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. He also had a eight-year fighting career in the Philippines.
If Mayweather's rumored bout with "Vicious" Victor Ortiz happens on September 17, it will give fans a good idea of where he is with his skill and his time left in the sport.
Ortiz is no joke, and neither is Mayweather.
Read more about why Pacquiao's skills may be declining here.
No. 4: There Is Money to Be Made...A Lot of Money
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Money may be the actual factor getting in the way of making this bout happen, and if it's not, it's picky things like Olympic-style drug testing that Mayweather wants Pacquiao to commit to.
The first negotiations between the two occurred from June to July in 2010, and it was reported that each boxer would receive $40 to $50 million for the fight. The deal fell through on July 17 after Pacquiao's promoter and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum didn't hear from Mayweather on the official decision.
To put how much a $40 million paycheck is into perspective; it's twice as much as Pacquiao earned fighting David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto combined.
Twice as much!
If that doesn't show the overall significance of this fight in terms of earnings and revenue, then I don't know what will.
The numbers are huge, and it may just make the fight too good to be true.
No. 3: Both Are Starting to Do More Outisde the Ring Than They Are in It
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As Mayweather fights court battles, Pacquiao fights against poverty in his home country of the Philippines.
After being elected into the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines in 2010, Pacquiao's dreams of becoming a politician and "helping the people" finally came true.
During the pre-fight press conference, Pacquiao stated he would be wearing yellow gloves during the fight.
“All my life, I have had to fight, " said Pacquiao, who has won 10 world titles. "As a child, I had to fight just to eat. Now, when I fight, Filipinos, they call me a "bayani" or a hero. I believe this world needs more heroes.
"The biggest fight of my life is not in boxing. The biggest fight in my life is how to end poverty in my country. That’s my biggest fight in my life.
“I will wear yellow gloves as a symbol of unity and hope to end poverty.”
Compare that kind of devotion and perseverance for the greater good to Mayweather, who is busy battling domestic disputes and misdemeanor harassment charges.
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No. 2: We Have the Hype, It's Time to Have the Fight
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Both fighters want to establish themselves as the greatest fighter of this era, but there's always going to be that question of what would have happened if they had fought if they don't fight.
How many times do boxing fans hear and ask the question, "What would have happened if Ali and Tyson fought?"
Nobody will know for sure, but it's kind of what will happen if these two pound-for-pound stars never fight, and it will be embarrassing to the sport because they are fighting in the same era.
We shouldn't have to be asking these questions with a fight like this because they should've already been answered.
If there is one good thing to come out of waiting, it's the constant buildup to the fight that increases every time they fight.
Can the hype really get bigger than what it already is?
No. 1: Boxing Needs It
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The fans need it. The fighters need it.
More importantly than all, the sport needs it.
The last superfight was a superdud between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather in May 2007.
It generated $120 million in revenue and sold an amazing 2.4 million PPV buys but turned out to be a relatively cautious affair with little drama inside the ring. Mayweather won a split-decision against "The Golden Boy" and fought once more that year against Ricky Hatton, defeating England's own by 10th-round TKO.
A fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao could possibly double the De La Hoya-Mayweather PPV numbers, and it's demanded more for now than ever before in a time where combat sports are on a significant rise all around the world.
If boxing needs a boost, and it does, to a certain extent, this fight is a shot in the arm for the boxing world.
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