Floyd's only option: Fight Pacquiao

Floyd's only option: Fight Pacquiao By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star) Updated December 19, 2011 12:00 AM Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Zoom MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao is leaving Floyd Mayweather Jr. with no other choice but to take the fight. Otherwise, the undefeated American and current pound-for-pound champion may become a big disappointment to the boxing public. He may be branded as a coward. “If he still refuses, then he’s really scared of Manny,” said Pacquiao’s legal adviser, Franklin Gacal, yesterday by phone. “Chicken McDo,” Gacal added, referring to the hot-selling meal at McDonald’s. The other day, as he turned a year older, Pacquiao was quoted as saying he’s willing to get the smaller percentage of the purse – if it’s a fight against Mayweather. It’s the fight the entire planet wants to see, and if it pushes through, it should easily generate more than a hundred million in revenues. The fight, it’s been said over and over again, should guarantee both fighters $50 million each – or more. It should also break the standing pay-per-view record of 2.4 million buys, set by Mayweather in his fight against Oscar dela Hoya in 2007. No fight has come close to that figure. But here’s one fight that can break the record. Gacal said Pacquiao wants the fight to happen, even if it means giving up millions of dollars. Earlier this year, the Filipino boxer said he won’t settle for anything less than fifty percent. But now he’s saying he’d settle for less. “Manny wants the fight to happen, and give the fans what they deserve,” said Gacal, who did not elaborate on the figures involved. “There’s no specific amount, no specific percentage yet. But he has agreed to a smaller share of the purse. The public has been waiting for this fight, and Manny is giving it to them. “That’s how Manny loves the sport of boxing, and how he loves the fans. He said it’s his way of thanking the fans,” Gacal added. A couple of times over the last couple of years, the super fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather came close to happening. But on both occasions, both camps fell short of sealing the deal. The drug-testing procedure is no longer an issue because Pacquiao has already agreed to Mayweather’s demands of a random, Olympic-style testing. And now he’s agreed to get the smaller purse. Well, Mayweather still can say “No,” and demand that Pacquiao drop the defamation charges he filed against the American for saying he’s on steroids. But if Pacquiao can agree to a smaller purse, there’s no reason why they can’t work this one out. Pacquiao is giving Mayweather no place to hide.