By Michael Marley

Maybe Floyd Mayweather Jr., laying in the cut, winds up with the last laugh after all.

While Manny Pacquiao is going through grueling training camps, Mayweather is laying in the cut.

While Pacquiao is subjecting his body to constant sparring and the wear and tear of two fights per year, Mayweather is laying in the cut.

Don’t get me wrong, Mayweather never gets out of condition, out of shape. His whole career he’s been religious as to that.

Mayweather must be laughing now that it’s been revealed that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, an ardent fight fan, made no offer, let alone a $65 million offer to Pacman (through sidekick Gov. Chavit Singson) to fight precocious Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.

Mayweather must also be laughing at another so-called offer of $75 million, that amount to him and to Pacman also, from an unknown pair of wanna-be promoters from the Los Angeles area.

These ephemeral offers, be they from Singapore or from the Middle East, will keep popping up because they always do when the public appetite is strong for a particular blockbuster bout like Floyd versus Manny would undoubtedly be.

Mayweather is not fighting Pacman next. Pacman is fighting Juan Manuel Marquez come Nov. 12.

Let’s hope Mayweather has fought or scheduled his “tune up” bout by then. If he intends to take on Vicious Victor Ortiz on Mexican Independence Day weekend in Vegas, Golden Boy will have to get moving on it quickly.

Speaking of appetites, you think the HBO machers like a 2011 calendar with zero boxing appearances by either Floyd or Manny?

While Mayweather keeps laying in the cut, sly fox, the pressure on the HBO suits is tremendous. Right now, the historical prime cable network boxing leader has a “marquee” fighter who is 46 years old.

His name is BHop, Bernard Hopkins.

HBO’s under pressure executives best BHopping right now to deliver Marquez-Pacquiao III or TBA-Mayweather to the screens of subscribers.

Showtime, meanwhile, intends to try to keep Pacquiao and Bob Arum working with their Showtime plus CBS broadcast platforms.

Mayweather is laying in the cut, sly fox, and he’s got HBO right where he wants them. They will have to kiss his feet and overpay for him to leave the cut and return to the ring.

If Showtime/CBS wins the Marquez-Pacman III auction, the pressure on HBO goes up exponentially.

HBO Boxing, 2011, has been a year of living dangerously, living without either of the sport’s only two certified superstars.

Look around, folks, because there is no third superstar extant. (I realize BHop, God bless him, got a huge ratings number on "free" HBO but who could he make millions with on pay-per-view?)

Mayweather is laying in the cut and he must like the view.