Mayweather: ‘Pacquiao had his chance’

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. says Manny Pacquiao had the chance to face him before but failed to jump the gun on it. The Filipino may never get the same opportunity again.

Mayweather, in a lengthy interview with Ben Thompson of fighthype.com, lambasted Pacquiao for rejecting his offer to fight him over two years ago when, according to him, the fighting congressman felt he was at par with him.

That period was when Mayweather offered Pacquiao a flat purse of $40 million, which the latter balked at, instead demanding a 50-50 split of the pay-per-view revenue.

The undefeated fighter said Pacquiao should’ve taken the deal.

“Pacquiao had his opportunity. He had his chance. When he had his opportunity and he had his chance, I guess he was tooting his own horn and he felt like he was on the same level as me,” he told Thompson.

“It's obvious he felt like he was on the same level as me status-wise because he wouldn't have asked for 50/50,” added Mayweather, who is reportedly eyeing British Amir Khan as his next opponent instead.

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The two fighters went separate ways since, and Pacquiao saw his stock dip with losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao has then returned to his winning ways by battering Brandon Rios in Macau last November, and made it clear he wants Mayweather as his next foe.

The fighting congressman isn’t getting that fight anytime soon and instead is likely headed for a rematch with Bradley. On his coattails are the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the US’ Internal Revenue Service, both of which claim Pacquiao owes them millions in back taxes.

That, Mayweather claims, is the reason Pacquiao badly wants to face him in a fight that could end up as the richest in boxing history.

“So when I offered you $40 million, you turned it down. I offered Manny Pacquiao $40 million and he said he wanted 50/50. So now, you took two back-to-back losses, and from what I hear, I don't know for a fact, but from what I hear, you got tax problems and now you're begging to get the fight,” he explained.

Mayweather went on to rant further, belittling Pacquiao’s recent win over Rios and blasting his association with Top Rank chief Bob Arum and adviser Michael Koncz. He said the Filipino should settle his tax woes first before he even thinks of a fight between them.

“He don't need to focus on Floyd Mayweather. He need to be focused on that tax business,” he continued. “I don't knock him for doing it, but all the cards are in my hand. It's not about working harder. It's about working smarter.”

“To become pound-for-pound, I proved myself. To be 45 and 0, I proved myself. To dominate for 17 years, I proved myself. I have nothing else to prove to nobody else. I can retire. He can't,” he added.

Mayweather made it clear: It’s Pacquiao who needs him, not the other way around.