Manny Pacquiao: Win or Lose, Pacquiao-Mayweather Won't Happen

I've never been in the room during a Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao negotiation. I have heard the speculation as to why they haven't fought yet.

But why they haven't fought is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that they haven't fought. So, until something is signed, is there any reason to believe that these two will ever get into the ring against each other?

Well, as ESPN's Dan Rafael details, Mayweather has booked the MGM Grand for May 5 with strong indications that Pacquiao is who he has his mind on. 

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

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That quote came from Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe. So, there's reason to be optimistic, right? Well, not so fast. 

But that's only one part of the story. Rafael also quotes Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, who is not as enthused about the fight.

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"The way they are going about it seems like a bizarre way to go about it. If you want to put it together, you meet, you talk. You don't just come out and say, 'The fight is May 5 at the MGM.' What kind of negotiation is that?

"So I don't take what they said seriously. I think it's Floyd's way of trying to grab a little bit of the spotlight away from Manny. I'm not going to get upset. I take it with a grain of salt."

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I don't know if Arum's allegations are true or not. The fact is that nobody outside of Mayweather really knows if those allegations are true. 

But hearing a person close to Pacquiao say that doesn't exactly give me the hope that this fight will happen at any point. 

This falls into one category. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt that I am. 

The fact is that until these two are at least in full-fledged, one-on-one negotiations, there is no reason to believe that this fight will ever happen. It hasn't yet. The opportunities have been there, but the fight is still nothing more than a dream.

Reading what Arum has had to say, there's no reason to believe that it will ever be anything more than that.