Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: Mayweather Doing His Best to Hog the Spotlight

I've been saying all along that we should be focused on Pacquiao vs. Marquez III and nothing else.

The only problem is, Floyd Mayweather Jr. won't allow us to do that.

With Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez set to fight for the third and final time on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas, Mayweather made sure to draw attention away from the two historic fighters earlier this week.

Said Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather's advisers, via ESPN:

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

"

Ellerbe, of course, was talking about the superfight everyone's been dreaming of: Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Mayweather's camp even booked a May 5 date at the MGM Grand.

But now legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum is crying foul.

Said Arum, via The Philippine Star:

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“You know who the little fellow that they already approached? It’s Erik Morales.

“And Erik will confirm it—absolutely. Erik has been approached to make the fight. He’ll take it for the money. I’m sure he’ll take it for the money. Why wouldn’t he?”

"

Arum has said from the start that Mayweather doesn't want to fight Pacquiao, regardless of whether or not Pacquiao undergoes tests for performance-enhancing drugs. I tend to agree with him. In my mind, Mayweather would rather leave it up for debate as to who the best boxer in the world is than risk his undefeated record and remove all doubt.

Mayweather continues to tease boxing fans while strategically keeping the spotlight on himself, when in reality we all should be focused on what could be the fight of the year between Pacquiao and Marquez.

If it's true that Mayweather is fighting Morales instead of Pacquiao, he and his camp should be ashamed of themselves.

This isn't a reality TV show. This is boxing, and it continues to die as a sport when Pacquiao vs. Mayweather could revitalize it.

I'd like to think Arum is mistaken, but at this point I trust him more than Mayweather.