The Heat Meet

Midway in the 2014-15 NBA season, the Miami Heat has yet to sway the critics that they can dominate without the services of LeBron James. On January 28, Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton scored 17 points each to propel the Milwaukee Bucks past the Miami Heat, 109 to 102. This puts the Bucks above the .500 mark and at least four games ahead of the seventh seed Heat. Chris Bosh had 26 points, Mario Chalmers had 21, and Hassan Whiteside continued with his rise by finishing with 16 points and 16 boards.

But even if the Heat won… and regardless if whether or not one (or two) of the players involved score 50 points and up, they take a backseat to an even greater power.

We can’t always get what we want. Kids would slowly realize and accept this truth as they grow up because money doesn’t grow on trees and frankly there are some people that aren’t attuned to showing their love to one another.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are no different.

For years, the world has drooled for a battle between these guys but for some reason, they just wouldn’t give it to us. I don’t want to go into details because even the casual Manny Pacquiao fans know this. Planet earth and its population have grown weary of this scenario. The world is an unfair place to live in as it is… and there are a lot of things more important than a Pacquiao versus Mayweather match speculation.

Enter the Miami versus Milwaukee game.

It’s kind of surprising that despite years of hating each other, this is the first time Pacquiao and Mayweather would meet each other in the flesh. And while you can see from the video the amount of tension between these two (check out Pacman’s face whose probably expecting something to happen), the two just exchanged pleasantries, phone numbers, and shoulder taps.

So this is good, right? Taunting and unkind comments aside, these two can be civil with each other. And with this, we can probably see the dream match after all. There are people who view this eyeball lockdown staged – despite the fact that Manny came to the arena in search of a way to catch a flight to Los Angeles because of the lousy weather (that’s the Pacquiao influence for you peeps). With this, it feels as if Pacquiao and Mayweather will have the fight everyone is dreaming after they pulled off that publicity stunt.

But here’s where I get skeptical.

Call me a Doubting Thomas but it feels too good to be true. How dare they pull this emotional jackhammer when they are on the verge of retirement, in desperate need for boxing recognition or financial stability, and with little or no hints of a trilogy? And here’s what I don’t get – the Manny Pacquiao reaction. Pacquiao said he and Mayweather exchanged numbers and this is the first time they have ever spoken. Mayweather would then tell Manny that it’s time for them to work the fight out for their selves. My playful mind is telling me that Mayweather wants the fight that bad but Bob Arum just wouldn’t let it happen. At 83 years old, Arum could just let Mayweather beg and squirm at the sight of the biggest prize he will ever get. I don’t know how influential Pacquiao is to Arum but certainly Mayweather is using Pacquiao as his final resort to talk sense to the boxing promoter. Just like what Alex Ariza said during an interview he did a couple of weeks ago, it’s hard to see this match going ahead with Mayweather and Arum at each other’s throats. And despite their relationship with each other, I doubt if Pacquiao can persuade Arum to take off his leash.

And here’s my biggest gripe – the pleasantries. These two have thrown insults, accusations, and even tirades that took the world by storm. And when they met… they conducted their business in an unrealistic way. I don’t know if we’ll see the two act like Jon “Bones” Jones and Daniel Cormier (or any Ronda Rousey opponent for that matter), but it felt as if they were “too nice” with each other.

There are online reports that there were no pleasantries that were said. Instead, Mayweather told Pacquiao and his adviser Michael Koncz to stop with all the lies and he has been trying his best to make the fight happen and he chose to stay silent throughout the negotiation process because we doesn’t entertain bullshit. Well that’s how Mayweather really is (the brass, trash talker with that immaculately flawless boxing record) so I believe this more than the “showbiz” answer of Manny Pacquiao. I also believe Mayweather here that he wants to match because with all the things happening, his record can rest until his retirement as Pacquiao braces a post-boxing career as media personality, politician, and basketball player (???). America is littered with international sports heroes while the Philippines doesn’t have much. This is why icons like Caloy Loyzaga, Robert Jaworski, Paeng Nepomuceno, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Lydia de Vega, Elma Muros, Akiko Thompson, and others are still seen in the highest regard. But for Mayweather? He can go as high as a philanthropist… to a play-by-play commentator… or those delve on reality shows.    

And I think this is why Arum and company are trying to get the best deal for The Pacman.

I hope these two fight. I really do. For Pacquiao, this fight will be his biggest achievement after claiming belt after belt in weight class after weight class. For Mayweather, he will end his career sans the asterisk of being the man who had the undefeated record because he never fought Manny Pacquiao.  

But it will take more than a chance encounter for these men to make this happen.

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Syd Salazar is a guest blogger for Philstar.com Sports. The views expressed in this article are personal and do not reflect the stand of Philstar.com.