Boxing fans have been clamoring for a showdown between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., since the latter came out of retirement in 2009.
However, talks between the two boxers have encountered numerous snags. Both camps tried several times to get a contract signed but it has been scuttled for a variety of reasons.
A Pacquiao-Mayweather fight was originally slated on March 10, 2010, with both boxers reported to “have agreed in principle to face off” in a match expected to gross at least $120 million.
Talks fell through, however, over the Mayweather camp’s demands for Olympic-style testing protocols, which involve random blood and urine sampling before and after the fight.
This was a deal breaker to Pacquiao, who has never tested positive for drugs, who said such tests too near the bout would “weaken” him.
Pacquiao later filed a lawsuit in federal court in Las Vegas alleging that Mayweather defamed him by falsely saying that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
Talks for a Nov. 13, 2010 bout were reported but the two camps could not reach an agreement.
Talks of another fight were derailed after Mayweather, who had a scheduled May 5, 2012 match, was ordered by a Las Vegas judge to be jailed for 90 days for domestic violence and harassment charges against his ex-girlfriend.
Mayweather started posting taunting tweets to Pacquiao for the May 5 bout to push through.
He posted: “Manny Pacquiao I’m calling you out let’s fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see.”
Pacquiao later said in a TV interview that he would agree to a fight, if Mayweather agrees to a 50-50 sharing. But the unbeaten Mayweather offered Pacquiao $40 million, with the Filipino not getting any share of the pay-per-view revenue.
Pacquiao nixed the offer, proposing instead a 45-45 sharing with the other 10 percent going to the winner of the bout.
In July 2013, Mayweather took potshots at Pacquiao, who suffered back-to-back losses against Timothy Bradley Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012.
“Pacquiao’s a has-been, his career is over; (but Juan) Manuel Marquez is a legend (and I commend him),” Mayweather said. Inquirer Research; Source: Inquirer Archives