The fight that everyone wants to see but has never happened is resurfacing in the rumor mill once again.
A Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao super fight that’s been on life support may have just received a dose of CPR.
According to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, the fight may occur in 2015.
While promoting Pacquiao’s upcoming bout with Chris Algieri on November 22, Arum stirred up some extra hype by declaring that the fight fans have sought for years may actually go down.
“With Showtime wanting the fight and HBO wanting it and Manny and Top Rank wanting the fight, there is one little step to take and that’s to see where Floyd stands and we’re optimistic that this time, Floyd will bite the bullet and do the fight on equitable terms,” Arum told the San Francisco Chronicle.
This topic is like beating a dead horse, but Arum appears to have faith that it will actually happen this time.
“I’m hopeful in the near term that that fight can be made — way more than before.”
He also added that Pacquiao is “100% in.”
Arum even went as far as to say this fight may happen not once, but twice, in 2015 with the likelihood of a rematch being part of the fight deal.
So, should boxing fans believe this is the time that the mega fight will come into fruition or just another publicity stunt?
First off, Arum has all the reason in the world to simply make this up because he knows he has a less than stellar fight to promote in Pacquiao vs. Algieri. The fight will likely receive underwhelming PPV buys and will garner little to no interest in the US, besides from die-hard Pacquiao fans.
This is also a shot at Mayweather, who is preparing for his Sept. 13 rematch against Marcos Maidana, and his outrageous ego, with Arum knowing that Money will have to make some sort of response after essentially putting the ball in his court.
Still, it all seems too familiar.
The issues that prevented the fight from happening in the past are still around.
What weight will the fighters square off at? Mayweather would likely request to fight at a lower weight to negate some of Pacquiao’s power.
Then, will Mayweather request Olympic-style drug testing again and how will they split the money?
But most of all, this fight has lost some of its luster.
Mayweather is 37 and Pacquiao is 35, with both fighters arguably past their prime. Sure, they stand as two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the history of the sport, but this bout doesn’t hold the same weight after a couple lackluster performances from each recently, including two defeats on Pacquiao’s resume.
Still, Arum believes this would be the richest fight in boxing history with a purse of $300 million. The fight would surely generate tons of interest still, but by 2015, both these fighters will have less athleticism and pop than they do today.
And while unlikely, if Mayweather or Pacquiao lose either of their upcoming bouts, you might as well put this fairytale fight into the grave for good.
Despite all the issues that would need to be worked out, Arum has said Showtime and HBO are pushing all the buttons to make the fight a reality in May of 2015.
Even Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach is providing some gas to the fire:
“We’ll [Pacquiao] fight Mayweather at whatever weight he wants to fight at,” Roach told Fightnews.
“He’s [Mayweather] shot. He’s done. His legs are gone based on his last two fights. He says he doesn’t move in order to make it more exciting for the fans. Bulls***.”
There is a lot of talk that this fight could become a reality in 2015, but based on history, it seems more like hype than actual truth.
The biggest non-event in boxing for almost 10 years may have new life, but it appears to be all noise at this point.
