By Phil D. Jay
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, have both spoken out as Floyd Mayweather’s prison sentence was put back to June 1st and in effect, opened up the opportunity for a May 5th showdown with Manny Pacquiao.
Ellerbe, who was present in the Las Vegas court yesterday as Mayweather was given a five month's of breathing space until he serves a 90-day prison term, pointed at Arums continued shifting of dates for Pacquiao’s next fight.
"It's so funny how that guy waffles about every damn thing," Ellerbe told mlive.com. "I don't need to take up my time talking about him. At first, it was 'Pacquiao's fighting in May,' and now he says Pacquiao won't be available until June now. Imagine that."
Ellerbe was then pressed on which fighter may be in line to face the WBC champion on May 5th and answered: "To be honest, I don't know. First things first, we had to get this taken care of. I haven't had two nights' sleep in the last two weeks so I don't want to comment on any of that.”
Schaefer, who has had Amir Khan’s controversies to deal with as well as conversing with the Mayweather camp, is adamant that the Top Rank CEO is the only wedge in the door stopping the super-fight from being signed.
"I think all the media members and fight fans, and so on, have started to get it,” explained Schaefer.
“Bob Arum doesn't want that fight. I don't know how much more proof people need or if they're just drinking Top Rank's Kool-Aid, or what it is, but it's apparent to just about anyone by now, hopefully. Those that don't get it yet, I think you have to wonder.
"He knows where to find me (to negotiate). The fact is, he doesn't want to do the fight. Look what happened. When Pacquiao fought his last fight, we said Mayweather was going to fight on May 5, and Arum said Pacquiao wasn't going to be available, it would have to be in June. Then, when it looked like Mayweather wasn't going to be available in May, suddenly, Pacquiao was going to fight in May. And now, suddenly, Mayweather is going to fight in May, guess what? Pacquiao isn't available until June.
“Who is he trying to fool? More and more, I think people are starting to realize he's full of s**t."
Rumours are now rife that Pacquiao v Marquez IV or a Lamont Peterson fight are in the works and Mayweather could face Saul Alvarez or Robert Guerrero, so add to that the fact that Mayweather goes to prison on June 1st and the fight everyone wants is facing another twelve months on the backburner.
Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net
