Manny Pacquiao Knows Mayweather's Challenge Is More Publicity Than Reality

We've been down this road before.

In fact, we've been much further down this road before.

With Manny Pacquiao set to step in the ring in just about a week's time, it is no wonder that Floyd "Money" Mayweather has started talking.

Money never misses an opportunity to publicize himself.

There are no bigger names in a dying sport and, as both cruise toward the end of their careers, time to schedule a fight is quickly disappearing.

Pacquiao, the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, is set to fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time on November 12.

Mayweather has made the decision that his next fight is going to be May 5th, a traditional weekend for a major pay-per-view extravaganza, and has just announced it.

As to who that fight will be with has yet to be determined, but hearing the news break just as Pac-Man is readying for an opponent is hardly surprising.

ESPN quotes Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, as saying:

"

We're looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is, the little fella.

"

That "little fella" packs a big punch and has scared Mayweather for too many years now.

The biggest fight possible is the only fight the fans are waiting for. If Mayweather is serious this time around (previous fight negotiations have broken down due differences in blood testing) we won't know for quite some time.

According to the report, he's already secured the MGM for May 5th, has alerted pay-per-view that this will be his next bout and Ellerbe added:

"

We're going to do everything in our power to make the biggest fight out there for the fans and we all know what the fight is.

"

Those words bring us back to earth. Naturally, with extra eyes and ears on the boxing world in these next 10 days and Pacquiao to remain quiet and focused on his current fight, Mayweather can reap all the attention of "challenging" Pacquiao for the next several days.

This is, no doubt, what he was looking to do.

By scheduling May 5th with no prior talks to Pacquiao's camp is a power move by Mayweather. If anything breaks down in fight negotiations this time around the undefeated 34-year-old fighter will claim he did "everything" in his power to make it happen before deciding to fight somebody else.

Don't be drawn to far into this because Pacquiao certainly won't be.

When these two finally stand on the scales glaring into each other's with pure malice and hate then, and only then, can we believe for even a second that this fight might happen.