MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao moves around town carrying as many as three mobile phones.
Most of the time, he ignores calls or text messages. But there’s one call he’s been waiting for and eagerly ready to answer.
It’s a call from Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“What I can say now is that our line is open 24 hours, seven days a week. If he will call and say ‘yes’ then the fight (will happen),†said Pacquiao yesterday.
The former pound-for-pound champion from the Philippines was in New York hyping up his April 12 rematch with Tim Bradley when he was asked about Mayweather.
“Are you gonna fight Floyd Mayweather at some point?†asked Keith Olbermann of ESPN.
Pacquiao said “Yes,†he wants to fight the undefeated American, but said it has to come from Mayweather.
Pacquiao said he’s willing to undergo random testing. Money is not a problem as well for the Filipino superstar, even stating he’d fight Mayweather for free.
He said he’s willing to stage the fight for charity with neither boxer getting a single penny and all revenues of the fight going to charities around the world.
It all fell on deaf ears. Mayweather isn’t buying.
Still, Pacquiao, the only fighter in history to win world titles in eight different weight classes, isn’t losing hope the superfight will happen – sooner or later.
Pacquiao is hoping it would come sooner because time may be running out. Pacquiao turned 35 last December while Mayweather will be 37 in a couple of weeks.
Pacquiao said it seems Mayweather doesn’t really want to fight him.
“He doesn’t want to do it?†Olbermann asked.
“That’s what I believe,†replied the Filipino boxer, still regarded as the best fighter out there next to Mayweather.
Pacquiao lost twice in 2012 to Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez and went on an 11-month break. Then he returned with a bang against Brandon Rios last November.
He said he’s ready to face Mayweather before it gets too late,
“Thousands, millions of fans are waiting for that fight and been asking me many questions about when will that fight happen,†Pacquiao told Olbermann.
“I tell them I am willing to fight him any time but the problem is him -- many alibis. (Operators are) standing by 24 hours, seven days a week,†Pacquiao went on.
In January 2012, Pacquiao spoke briefly to Mayweather on the phone, and the reigning pound-for-pound and pay-per-view king offered him $40 million all in.
“Kausap ko si Floyd kanina (I spoke to Floyd a while ago),†he whispered to The STAR during a formal affair he attended just hours after he spoke to Mayweather on the phone.
But Pacquiao turned the offer down, saying he wants a better deal.
There’s no new offer coming from Mayweather who’s choosing from either Marcos Maidana or Amir Khan as his opponent in May.
Pacquiao is waiting. The world is waiting.
He’s just a phone call away.