MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather Jr. is now willing to fight Manny Pacquiao.
The undefeated American, who calls himself the greatest boxer ever, said he wants to fight Pacquiao on May 2 in a bout that could generate over $200 million in revenues.
And under his terms.
If it happens, the fight could break all existing records in boxing.
Pacquiao must have heard about Mayweather’s interview with “Showtime” yesterday because he seemed ready with his response to the challenge: “Gawin niya, hindi yung salita.” Stop talking and just do it.
“Pumirma na siya sa kontrata (He should sign the contract),” Pacquiao told reporters at his Forbes Park home yesterday.
“I would love to fight Manny Pacquiao. We tried to make the fight happen years ago; we had problems with random blood and urine testing,” Mayweather said in the interview.
“I just want to be on an even playing field. Now he’s in a very, very tight situation. He’s lost to (Juan Manuel) Marquez, he’s lost to (Timothy) Bradley. Pay-per-view numbers are extremely low. He’s desperate. I wanted that fight a long time ago. I’m just waiting on them.
“Floyd Mayweather is not ducking or dodging any opponent,” Mayweather told Showtime.
Instead, the boxer with a perfect record of 47-0 blamed Pacquiao’s promoter, and his former promoter, Bob Arum, for preventing the fight from happening.
Fight fans around the world can’t wait to see the fight, which for the last five years has gone on and off.
But over the last few weeks, there’s strong buzz that negotiations are back on, and this time, things look brighter than before.
“Bob Arum is stopping the fight. We have been trying to make this fight happen for many years behind the scene,” said Mayweather.
Arum doesn’t sound like he’s stopping the fight.
“Enough is enough. Make the fight happen,” he said on stage just moments after Pacquiao outclassed Chris Algieri in Macau last Nov. 23.
Mayweather wants the bigger share of the purse.
“You lost twice and now you’re coming back begging for the same money? That’s not gonna happen,” he said.
Pacquiao knows where he stands.
And even before the question regarding the purse was fully asked, the Filipino superstar knew what to say.
“I’m not looking for material things,” he said.
“Ang importante maibigay natin yung laban na gusto ng tao (What’s important is for us to give the fight the public wants),” Pacquiao added.
“Pag-usapan na (Let’s talk). Pumirma na siya para okay na (He should sign so everything’s okay),” he added. – With AP