Negotiations for Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather: Going on smoothly

Posted by By admin at 7 December, at 06 : 18 AM Print

The Filipino boxing icon believes his un-Pacman-like showing against the durable Mexican in their Nov. 12 welterweight trilogy all the more convinced Floyd Mayweather Jr. that Pacquiao is vulnerable enough if and when the two of them finally get to meet in the ring.

And this could be the reason why so suddenly, negotiations for a 2012 mega-fight between two of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters, had took off the ground without the usual hassle that preceded two previous talks.

“Naka-ganda pa nga `yung resulta ng fight ko kay Marquez, kasi parang naging come-on sa kanya (Mayweather Jr.) para labanan ako,” said Pacquiao over dinner Monday night in a seaside restaurant along Roxas Blvd.

Pacquiao eked out a highly-disputed majority decision over Marquez to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-lbs title belt in a fight many expected the Philippine pride to easily dominate.

But it didn’t turn out to be that way as the 32-year-old champion needed to win the final round in two of the judges’ scorecards to escape with the narrow decision.

“Kung nanalo ako, kung binugbog ko si Marquez, sigurado tatanggi na naman siya (Floyd) na maglaban kami,” boxing’s most exciting fighter reasoned out.

Issue centering on drug testing procedures torpedoed two past negotiations between both camps.

Pacquiao, however, said talks on drug tests had already been ironed out and a likely 50-50 purse split is likely to be made for the fight, which he said has an 80 percent chance of finally pushing through.

If every thing else still fails, the global boxing icon said he’s ready to take on any willing comers.

“Kahit sino puwede kong labanan, ke si Mayweather, Marquez, kahit si (Timothy) Bradley,” said Pacquiao, referring to the current WBO light welterweight champion.

The greatest Filipino athlete ever even mentioned that Miguel Cotto could also be thrown into the mix, although he believes Top Rank promoter Bob Arum already has prior plans to pit the Puerto Rican champion against reigning WBC middleweight king Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s long-time trainer however, is not keen on another meeting with Cotto, whom the eight-time world titlist already destroyed inside 12 rounds during their welterweight title showdown two years ago.

“They fought already,” said Roach of a Pacquiao-Cotto rematch in his Twitter account, adding that his top boxer `had a bigger fish to fry’ than someone whom he had beaten in the past.

“I want to see Mayweather for Pacquiao,” said Roach.

Cotto’s name suddenly surfaces as a possible Pacquiao opponent following his 10th round demolition of hated Mexican rival Antonio Margarito to retain the WBC light-middleweight crown last week.

Speaking of Margarito, the top welterweight fighter of the world advised the Mexican to just retire from boxing or risk getting blind his right eye.

“Mada-damage lang `yung mata niya,” said Pacquiao, who dominated the towering Mexican in a lopsided, 12-round decision last year at the Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Manny Pacquiao