Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: Why One Star Must Lose Before Dream Fight Can Happen

Fans of boxing have been clamoring to see a Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight for a long time. Well, if they're really anxious to see them go at it, I have one suggestion for you. You should hope that at least one man loses.

That seems counter intuitive, doesn't it?

Well, it wouldn't add to the drama of the fight, there's no denying that. Actually, if that happened, calling the fight a "Dream Fight" would be overstepping things by quite a bit.

Still, realistically, it's the best and likely only way that we'll ever see these two in the ring together.

If either man loses to another fighter, then neither can afford to be as picky in negotiations. They don't have as much to negotiate on (or fear) if they've just lost.

Now, before I elaborate, let me say one thing. Remember everything you just read, and everything you're about to read, and know that I want to be wrong. Actually, as a fan of the sport, nothing would make me happier than to be wrong.

If Mayweather were to beat Victor Ortiz on Saturday, and then Pacquiao were to beat Juan Manuel Marquez in November, and then the two got a deal done, I would be just fine. But I don't realistically see that happening.

Why am I so pessimistic?

Well, it hasn't happened yet. Regardless of what side of the fence you're on, you can't deny that things haven't exactly gone well in their negotiations thus far.

If they had, we would have seen this fight by now.

In addition to the loss of hype, one of them losing offers one concern. Mayweather is 34, and Pacquiao is almost 33. If either were to lose, he may well just retire from the sport in general.

That's a risk, but the chances of that happening aren't any greater than the chances of them each winning and then negotiating a deal.

I’m not blaming either man for the problems thus far. Sure, I’ve heard all of the stories, but I have never been present while negotiations were taking place. So, I am not going to pass judgment on either man.

But I do know that egos are always big in these things.

Does either man want to lose this fight? No. Does either man really need this fight? Forget about what it would mean to their legacies, but both men seem to be secure in life.

But if either were to lose before a Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao fight, there would be more desperation on that person’s end to get in the ring. Theoretically, they would be more flexible.

So, while I am aware that this isn’t an ideal scenario, it is the most realistic one. If you have a reason to be optimistic that this fight could happen with both men winning all of their fights until then, I would love to hear from you.

But as it stands now, both men winning isn’t likely to get us anything more than the same posturing that we’ve seen for all too long now.