Pacman-Mayweather talks collapse anew

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao partied all night Friday and woke up to yesterday’s news that Floyd Mayweather Jr. had ignored the deadline for him to sign the contract for a Nov. 13 fight with the Filipino superstar.

 During the birthday bash of his friend Jake Joson at the Republiq, Pacquiao seemed unmindful that the whole world was waiting for the latest development regarding his potential fight with Mayweather.

He said a couple of days ago that he wouldn’t mind if Mayweather, for so many reasons, from drug-testing to purse split to tax issues, decides not to face him in November for the richest fight in boxing history.

Yesterday, at around 3 in the afternoon in Manila (midnight of Friday in the United States), just when Pacquiao had gotten out of bed, the deadline imposed by Bob Arum on Mayweather had lapsed.

Again, Pacquiao, the fighting congressman from Sarangani, was unmindful.

“Wala lang sa kanya (It seems nothing to him),” said one of Pacquiao’s aides, Jojo Sta. Teresa, as the champ enjoyed his dinner with wife Jinkee and fellow boxer Gerry Peñalosa at the newest Marriott Hotel in Manila.

“Hindi pa nga nila pinag-uusapan (They haven’t even talked about it yet).”

A few hours earlier, Arum held a tele-conference where he was supposed to announce whether or not Mayweather had agreed to face Pacquiao on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas, and decide who the rightful pound-for-pound champion is.

Arum said there was no word, no call, no nothing from Mayweather, meaning it’s time for him to begin talks with both Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto for a possible fight with Pacquiao, either in Mexico or Abu Dhabi, in November.

The chief of Top Rank Promotions said he tried everything to get the fight on, but it seemed that Mayweather has so many things in mind, and it includes the impending trial of his uncle-trainer, Roger Mayweather, for battery charges.

“I wanted to do this fight badly, and so did Manny. At a point in time we have to move on,” said Arum during the tele-conference, as quoted by 8CountNews.

“I told (HBO Sports president) Ross (Greenburg) that Friday was the deadline. Next week I will be talking to the Cotto camp and the Margarito camp regarding a fight with Manny Pacquiao,” added Arum.

The fight is off for now, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be done in the future. Arum said he expects to get the deal with either Margarito or Cotto, who are both under Top Rank, done in 10 days.

And if Mayweather decides to step up and face Pacquiao, as long as he says so before a fight contract with either Margarito or Cotto is signed, then it’s on for the Super Fight. Arum was asked if the Mayweather fight is dead.

“It’s dead when we conclude an opponent for Manny’s fight in November,” said Arum.

“It will be a shame if it doesn’t happen. But I don’t think you guys should be too hard on Floyd. I think the boxing fans are going to be disappointed but they have to cut Floyd some slack,” Arum told The Sweet Science.

While nothing has been heard from the Mayweather camp, and that includes his representatives from Golden Boy Promotions, it’s been noted that tax issues may be the biggest stumbling block for the fight to happen this year.

Mayweather made a lot of money, through guaranteed purse and a huge pay-per-view sales, facing and beating Shane Mosley last May 1, and the undefeated American, in return, coughed up just huge an amount in taxes.

Therefore, Mayweather doesn’t want to undergo the same taxation for the second time this year, and that if he ever decides to face Pacquiao, then it’ll be next year, again for the biggest fight in history.

“If we can’t do it in November, then maybe we can do it in May,” said Arum.