By Edward Chaykovsky
Freddie Roach, who trains WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, finds it very strange that Floyd Mayweather Jr. did not request a rematch clause for the upcoming May 2nd mega-fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Mayweather has had a rematch clause in place for most of his high profile pay-per-view fights. The biggest of his career, against Pacquiao, will not have the contract option of a rematch for either fighter.
The agreement for the May showdown has a 60-40 financial split in Mayweather's favor. Mayweather's company is the lead promoter and his team controls nearly ever aspect of the promotion. All of that could change if Pacquiao pulls off an upset.
Should Manny win, his team and his promoter, Top Rank, would make things very difficult at the negotiating table. They would surely demand the A-side role in the promotion and the higher financial split, which Mayweather and his team is unlikely to give them.
In a past interview, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum stated that it took so long to finalize the initial agreement that a rematch clause was the last thing his side was concerned about. They just wanted to get Mayweather in the ring.
"It's really, really strange to me that Floyd didn't sign a rematch clause in his contract," Roach said to Mlive.com. "I found that a little bit odd because that means there isn't a rematch, or if we win, and we do get a rematch, we'll be in charge of the negotiations — unless they had gotten that in the contract, and they didn't do that. So I wonder sometimes where his head's at. He's had a big career. It's got to end sometime."
