IT isn’t funny anymore, this Floyd-authored Pacquiao-Mayweather fight continuing to be on hold for all the crazy reasons one can ever imagine.
Only a while back, he said he was going to first fight Fantasmagorical before taking on Pacquiao.
Fantasmagorical who?
Fantasmagorical a.k.a. Invisible. As in the “phantom punch” that knocked out Sonny Liston (may God rest his soul) in the first round in his rematch with Muhammad Ali in 1965 in Lewiston, Maine. The return bout came after Cassius Clay stopped Liston in the seventh round, capturing the world heavyweight crown in 1964 in boxing’s biggest upset in years. The rematch, likewise, marked the first time that Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.
Of course, Mayweather has no Fantasmagorical to fight. A hoax; he has always been fond of foolish inventions. If he had become a writer, he could have written Harry Potter. No sweat.
The latest of Mayweather’s multifaceted dilatory tactics is his spin of accusing Bob Arum of telling a lie.
The alleged lie is anchored on Arum’s claim that the only thing lacking in the contract for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is Mayweather’s signature on the dotted line.
Is that true?
If it isn’t—as indications point to that—so what?
No big deal, if you ask me.
Just a figure of speech, I assume.
Arum, Manny Pacquiao’s fight promoter, has said time and again his camp is 100-percent ready for the Pacquaio-Mayweather bout. That has been Arum’s stance since 2010 yet.
So, where’s the lie there?
As I was saying, Arum, to reinforce his willingness to have the fight staged soonest, has agreed on Mayweather’s four basic demands (not requests): One, the fight is on May 2. Two, it is going to be held in MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Three, Mayweather gets 60 percent of the purse and Pacquiao 40 percent. Four, Olympic-style blood testing will be in play.
What Arum decides, Pacquiao can only heed, as history tells us.
As Pacquiao has consistently said since he signed up with Arum in 2006: “Bob selects my foes. My job is to fight.”
Unfortunately for the boxing fans, Mayweather’s job is not only to fight but also to select fighters he will face.
Now, will he choose dangerous fighters?
Of course, not.
That’s why notice that all these years, he has remained unbeaten in 47 fights. Get the drift?
Against Pacquiao, he feels he could be risking that unblemished record—a rather unfounded fear if it’s true since he is the hands-down favorite once the fight is sealed. That’s because compared with Pacquiao, Mayweather has moves tailor-fit to evade Pacman’s brutal barrage.
And so, the question again: Will Pacquiao and Mayweather ever meet for the fight that is set to break all existing records in the business of boxing?
They will, if Mayweather wills it so. If he can afford to blow it, he goes down in history as the man who threw away everything for a reason more mysterious than the sorrowful mystery. As unknown as the cure of cancer.
THAT’S IT. While Time Cone gave San Miguel Corp. its first title in his third time at bat, Leo Austria won it for SMC in his first crack at the crown, piloting the San Miguel Beermen to the PBA Philippine Cup in an epic 4-3 victory over Alaska just last week. So, who is better between the two?…Thank you to Diwa Guinigundo, the humble deputy governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas whose friendship has always been wrapped in words and in deeds. Cheers!