Is it an early Christmas gift, or just more boxing blather? Time will tell.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., in an interview on Showtime Friday night, said he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao on May 2.
The would-be megafight – attempts to make the match have been KOd in years past – would be a boon for boxing, pitting the sweet science's top performers of recent vintage, and the various constiunents of the pay-per-view industry.
In an interview on Dec. 12 in San Antonio, where his promotional company was putting on a boxing card, Mayweather called for the fight to take place on Cinco de Mayo weekend, a period when“Money” has often put the gloves on.
"We are ready. Let's make it happen. May 2. Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. Let's do it," he said during the Dec. 12 interview.
Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum have been pushing for the fight in recent weeks, before and after' "Pac Man's" six knockkdown performence versus Chis Algieri. According to published reports, Arum has held talks with CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves in an effort to forge a deal under which Showtime and HBO, which has Pacquiao under contract, would produce a joint pay-per-view. The companies teamed together for the 2002 heavyweight championship fight between Lennox Lewis, who was signed to HBO, and Mike Tyson, who was with Showtime.
Pacquiao, in response, to Mayweather’s claim, was optimistic, but remained skeptical until contracts are actually drawn.
Previous attempts to get the fighters in the ring broke down over blood sampling issues, purse splits and animus between Pac Man and Money, who exacerbated the bad blood with a homophobic rant against the Filipino. Mayweather's proclamation also comes in the face of the general perception that he has been ducking Pacquiao.
History and gegotiations aside, there could be another impediment to the long-awaited matchup: May 2 is already the target date for a potential HBO PPV fight between middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and former junior middleweight titleholder Canelo Alvarez. That match could be the first for Alvarez on HBO after he left Showtime in September.
Alvarez's loss to Mayweather on Sept. 14, 2013 was the most lucrative PPV event in boxing history, generating more than $150 million.
With pay-per-view buys stultifying for both senescent fighters – Mayweather has two fights left on his six-bout Showtime contract and has talked about retirement after it runs its course, while Pacquiao holds political office in his homeland -- an encounter figures to jolt buy-rates and the revenue pie in 2014.
As Money said: "Let’s make it Cinco de Mayweather" ,,, and Pacquiao.
