Edwin Espejo
Location: General Santos City, Philippines
TOP Rank’s Bob Arum is in town to explain a potential deal for the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega showdown.
A done or bust deal could spell the difference for Manny’s boxing career.
Had Manny not chosen to run for a seat in Congress next year, this fight with Mayweather would have been a no brainer.
Sports fans – and I mean all of major sports discipline – are looking forward to it and have been demanding that this fight happen.
Manny and Floyd knew this could give them the biggest purse in their entire boxing career – the future included. Both knew they have a short time left, and letting this one big event pass is like declining a blank check from Billy Gates. Of course, I am joking about the check.
But this business of closing a fight deal between two of the best pound for pound boxers on the planet is a serious matter and both boxers knew their boxing careers hinge on this fight happening.
Manny’s dilemma, however, is greater than that of Mayweather. Still at the crest of popularity after he masterfully demolished Miguel Angel Cotto, Manny is in the position of strength, as far as bargaining is concerned, in making this fight happen within the first five months of 2010.
Mayweather has no dancing partner that could give him even half what he will earn from fighting Pacquiao except to take the fight versus Shane Mosley, an ageing but still dangerous top-flight boxer whom he ducked before. Even then, the most he could get for a Mosley fight is no more than a US$10 million guaranteed purse.
Mayweather, at this point, will not sell fighting trial horses. He only has Pacquiao and Mosley to choose from. Manny, on the other hand, can still earn his minimum US$10 guaranteed fighting the likes of Andre Berto, Mosley and Marquez.
But the biggest there is Mayweather. And this one should happen before the May 2010 elections for a few reasons.
One, Manny needs the logistic to run his campaign for a seat in the Philippine Congress.
Two, Manny’s purse leverage will sharply decline if the fight does not happen before that.
Third, this might be the only chance the two could agree – with minimum kinks – to fighter each other.
Fourth, history’s calling is a compelling reason for both fighters to do it.
For this thing to happen, either Manny sacrifices and withdraw his bid to become a member of the Philippine Congress or he fights Mayweather leaving his campaign to his political wards while in training.
Congress is a serious business. Either you go all in or you fold. There is no in between.
Unlike boxing, you can take a warm up fight before the big one.
Roach is right. A March 13 date is too much too soon.
But with Manny, unpredictable as he is, everything is within the realm of reality and possibility.
A potential Php1,800,000,000 ($39 million) payday awaits him if this fight happens within the first five months of 2010. Yes, that is eight zeroes in a figure with three commas.
But will Manny choose to turn his back on boxing at the height of his popularity and saleability?
This is one fight that Manny could afford to say Congress is sweet but heaven can wait.
Go on Manny, accept a March 13 or a May 1 deal to immortalize your self in boxing history.
Source: asiancorrespondent.com
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