In the aftermath of last Saturday’s Manny Pacquiao versus Chris Algieri mismatch, talk will pick up again over a showdown between Pac-Man and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Coming off his second Marcos Maidana fight, which really did him no good, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has already booked the MGM Grand and is again targeting a fight on the weekend around Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May. Floyd has talked retirement again, with perhaps one more fight after May but beyond that, Mayweather has done a lot to create a legacy. What he is going to hear the call for, now more than ever, is that was is missing in his career is for him to face up to the other elephant in the room, and that is Pacquiao.
Mayweather has created a situation for himself in Las Vegas where he can generate money for himself like nowhere else. Mayweather fans and followers are fond of letting everyone know that ‘Money’ is all about the dollar, and that no one does it better.
That may not be the case, as Pacquiao has been able to take his international brand and make money in China, Dallas, Vegas and wherever. If he fought in the Philippines again for the first time since 2006, Pacquiao would literally bring the entire country of 98 million people to a halt. Mayweather cannot do that.
And in the ring, Mayweather has his undefeated legacy. But the point is arguable, as Pacquiao fought four times with Juan Manuel Marquez before the future Hall of Famer caught him. He fought a triology with Erik Morales, and fought twice with Marco Antonio Barrera. These are sure fire hall of fame fighters, and Mayweather’s resume does not stack up.
He faced Oscar and Shane when they were past their prime. Arturo Gatti isn’t a Hall of Famer based on his skill level. That was a rugged duo of fights back in 2002 with Jose Luis Castillo, there Floyd, but that is what you have to stack up against Pac-Man’s resume.
The bottom line is that there is no other fighter on the landscape out there for Mayweather to fight that will not have a letdown effect because it isn’t Pacquiao. With the spectre of Golden Boy’s big showdown between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Miguel Cotto for the same weekend, Mayweather needs Pacquiao because against any other opponent, he wont even win the ratings war that weekend.
The fight could happen if a litany of parties, including Bob Arum, Al Haymon, HBO and Showtime, can all work out a deal.
Take a look at this piece from ESPN First Take, taking about a potential Pacquiao versus Mayweather Jr match:
