MANILA, Philippines - Sinong nagsasabing maitutuloy pa ang negosasyon para sa inaabangang bakbakan nina Manny Pacquiao at Floyd Mayweather, Jr.?
Sinabi kahapon ni Leonard Ellerbe, tumatayong adviser ng six-time world champion na si Mayweather, na hindi iniisip ni “Pretty Boy” ang sinasabing megafight nila ng Filipoino world seven-division king na si “Pacman”.
“Ain’t nobody thinking about Manny Pacquiao, Bob Arum or Freddie Roach,” ani Ellerbe sa panayam ng Grand Rapids Press. “Floyd isn’t thinking about none of them, and there ain’t no negotiations starting, period. Floyd is just coming off a great win. He’s not thinking about any of them.”
Kamakailan ay inihayag nina Top Rank Promotions’ chairman Bob Arum at trainer Freddie Roach na pagkatapos ng eleksyon ay maaari nilang buksan sa 31-anyos na si Pacquiao ang negosasyon para sa kanilang upakan ng 33-anyos na si Mayweather.
Sa kanyang unanimous decision win sa 38-anyos na si Sugar Shane Mosley kamakailan, sinabi ni Ellerbe na maaaring kumita si Mayweather ng halos $40 milyon mula sa pay-per-view buys.
“Manny Pacquiao is probably wondering how did Floyd Mayweather make $40 million, and I’m making whatever it was he made for his fight,” ani Ellerbe. “Floyd Mayweather has definitely made more money in his last two fights than that guy has made in his whole career.”
Dahil sa pamimilit ni Mayweather na dumaan sila ni Pacquiao sa isang Olympic-style drug testing, inayawan ng tubong General Santos City ang naturang laban na itinakda noong Marso.
Kagaya ni Mayweather, umiskor rin ng unanimous decision victory si Pacquiao kay Joshua Clottey ng Ghana para sa una niyang title defense sa hawak na World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title.