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LOS ANGELES – The latest news coming out of the Philippines is No. 1 pound-for-pound boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has backed off his 50/50 revenue demand to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. and would accept a 70/30 split, in favor of the undefeated champion, if the two were to negotiate again for a potential match.
A business advisor for Pacquiao said the Filipino champion will take less money to fight Mayweather, if the two get past their respective opponents in May and June.
GMA reports: “Team Pacquiao has reached out to Floyd Mayweather Jr. with an offer of 70 percent of the pay-per-view (PPV) money going to the winner of a possible bout between Manny Pacquiao and the undefeated American fighter, Pacquiao business advisor Rex “Wakee” Salud confirmed to GMA News Online.”
The offer comes in response to Mayweather’s recent interview with Bob Costas last weekend.
In the nationally televised interview, Mayweather shed some light as to reasons why he hasn’t fought Pacquiao and many fans are now wondering whether the fight will ever happen at all.
On Costas’ NBC’s Sport Show, Mayweather said the revenue split of a potential fight and his own “self-preservation” are among the reasons why the match of the decade or what many people consider the super bowl of boxing hasn’t happened yet.
“With or without Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather is okay. Floyd Mayweather fights for Floyd Mayweather. At the end of the day, Floyd Mayweather has to be happy because when your career is over and all is said and done, I have to be happy and be comfortable,” Mayweather told Costas.
Costas spent several minutes peppering the undefeated boxer questions about the Filipino welterweight champion Pacquiao. The two men are arguably the No. 1 and No. 2 boxers in the world pound-for-pound boxing rankings.
For the past couple of years, the two have tried to agree to a match.
However, negotiations have faltered one way or another. In the latest setback, the deal fell through when Pacquiao’s promoters asked for a 50/50 revenue split and would not budge on fighting on May 5 -- a date Mayweather reserved because of his pending jail sentence in June. Mayweather then booked a match against super welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto on May 5. Meanwhile, Pacquiao will face off against undefeated lightweight champion Timothy Bradley on June 9.
With both men in their 30’s (Pacquiao at 33 and Mayweather at 35), which is considered old in boxing, Costas asked Mayweather: “Times a wastin’ you guys need to get inside the ring.”
“I tried to get it done for May 5,” he sad. “It would have been Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao but I got turned down.”
Mayweather said he called Pacquiao directly and tried to negotiate the fight terms. He offered Pacquiao $40 million, with $20 million of that wired within 72 hours of the Filipino accepting the deal.
“I met with Michael Koncz, tried to keep making the deal happen but they went another route,” he said.
Costas explained Pacquiao turned down the deal because while $40 million is a lot of money, a fight of this magnitude could possibly generate close to $150 million in pay-per-view revenue. Pacquiao’s team has been asking for a 50/50 revenue split.
“How my deal is structured at this particular time in the sport of boxing is I keep 100 percent of the revenues...I’m not giving up the split,” he said. “I can’t afford to. I’m not. I gave this sport my whole life.”
Mayweather, referring to Muhammed Ali’s Parkinson disease, said health is also a concern.
Though he didn’t mention Pacquiao, Mayweather said he’s not going to let the public dictate who he will fight next.
“I know one shot can end your career. It’s a sport that’s very entertaining but also very deadly,” he said.
“Look at the Ali situation. Fans pushed him to get into fights at the end of his career that he didn’t want to get in…If Ali could trade it all in for his health, he would.”
Mayweather added: “I’m in this to win, not just inside the ring, but outside. My health is more important than anything.”
When Costas asked him if there was some fear in facing Pacquiao, Mayweather responded:
“I don’t fear no man. I don’t fear nothing. I mean if you are insinuating I am a scared fighter why would you want to watch a scared fighter.
“Ain’t no fighter can beat Floyd Mayweather. If the Pacquiao fight presents itself and everything is in order as it should be, I’ll be victorious.”
Fans frustrated
After watching the interview, Fil-Am boxing fans Jon Ibay and Allen Palos were less likely to believe that a fight between the two greatest fighters in their generation could ever happen.
“If all it takes is one punch, why continue fighting?” said Ibay referring to Mayweather’s health concerns inside and outside the ring. “It just shows he feels like Cotto can’t hurt him but Manny will.”
Palos said Mayweather’s insistence on not sharing the pay-per-view revenue shows his lack of interest in a fight with Pacquiao.
It’s always one excuse after another, said Palos.
“To make absurd requests like demanding 100 percent of the pay-per-view revenue only shows that he really has no interest in the fight.
“The only way Mayweather will fight Pacquiao is the moment Pacquiao isn’t in his prime. That is his M.O. He could have fought Cotto a long time ago but ducked him. He has done it his whole career,” said Palos.
Ibay added boxing fans interest in the fight will wane if the two can’t solve their contract differences.
“If the fight doesn’t happen in November it’s over. I don’t think the public will care anymore.
I still doubt the fight will happen.
A business advisor for Pacquiao said the Filipino champion will take less money to fight Mayweather, if the two get past their respective opponents in May and June.
GMA reports: “Team Pacquiao has reached out to Floyd Mayweather Jr. with an offer of 70 percent of the pay-per-view (PPV) money going to the winner of a possible bout between Manny Pacquiao and the undefeated American fighter, Pacquiao business advisor Rex “Wakee” Salud confirmed to GMA News Online.”
The offer comes in response to Mayweather’s recent interview with Bob Costas last weekend.
In the nationally televised interview, Mayweather shed some light as to reasons why he hasn’t fought Pacquiao and many fans are now wondering whether the fight will ever happen at all.
On Costas’ NBC’s Sport Show, Mayweather said the revenue split of a potential fight and his own “self-preservation” are among the reasons why the match of the decade or what many people consider the super bowl of boxing hasn’t happened yet.
“With or without Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather is okay. Floyd Mayweather fights for Floyd Mayweather. At the end of the day, Floyd Mayweather has to be happy because when your career is over and all is said and done, I have to be happy and be comfortable,” Mayweather told Costas.
Costas spent several minutes peppering the undefeated boxer questions about the Filipino welterweight champion Pacquiao. The two men are arguably the No. 1 and No. 2 boxers in the world pound-for-pound boxing rankings.
For the past couple of years, the two have tried to agree to a match.
However, negotiations have faltered one way or another. In the latest setback, the deal fell through when Pacquiao’s promoters asked for a 50/50 revenue split and would not budge on fighting on May 5 -- a date Mayweather reserved because of his pending jail sentence in June. Mayweather then booked a match against super welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto on May 5. Meanwhile, Pacquiao will face off against undefeated lightweight champion Timothy Bradley on June 9.
With both men in their 30’s (Pacquiao at 33 and Mayweather at 35), which is considered old in boxing, Costas asked Mayweather: “Times a wastin’ you guys need to get inside the ring.”
“I tried to get it done for May 5,” he sad. “It would have been Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao but I got turned down.”
Mayweather said he called Pacquiao directly and tried to negotiate the fight terms. He offered Pacquiao $40 million, with $20 million of that wired within 72 hours of the Filipino accepting the deal.
“I met with Michael Koncz, tried to keep making the deal happen but they went another route,” he said.
Costas explained Pacquiao turned down the deal because while $40 million is a lot of money, a fight of this magnitude could possibly generate close to $150 million in pay-per-view revenue. Pacquiao’s team has been asking for a 50/50 revenue split.
“How my deal is structured at this particular time in the sport of boxing is I keep 100 percent of the revenues...I’m not giving up the split,” he said. “I can’t afford to. I’m not. I gave this sport my whole life.”
Mayweather, referring to Muhammed Ali’s Parkinson disease, said health is also a concern.
Though he didn’t mention Pacquiao, Mayweather said he’s not going to let the public dictate who he will fight next.
“I know one shot can end your career. It’s a sport that’s very entertaining but also very deadly,” he said.
“Look at the Ali situation. Fans pushed him to get into fights at the end of his career that he didn’t want to get in…If Ali could trade it all in for his health, he would.”
Mayweather added: “I’m in this to win, not just inside the ring, but outside. My health is more important than anything.”
When Costas asked him if there was some fear in facing Pacquiao, Mayweather responded:
“I don’t fear no man. I don’t fear nothing. I mean if you are insinuating I am a scared fighter why would you want to watch a scared fighter.
“Ain’t no fighter can beat Floyd Mayweather. If the Pacquiao fight presents itself and everything is in order as it should be, I’ll be victorious.”
Fans frustrated
After watching the interview, Fil-Am boxing fans Jon Ibay and Allen Palos were less likely to believe that a fight between the two greatest fighters in their generation could ever happen.
“If all it takes is one punch, why continue fighting?” said Ibay referring to Mayweather’s health concerns inside and outside the ring. “It just shows he feels like Cotto can’t hurt him but Manny will.”
Palos said Mayweather’s insistence on not sharing the pay-per-view revenue shows his lack of interest in a fight with Pacquiao.
It’s always one excuse after another, said Palos.
“To make absurd requests like demanding 100 percent of the pay-per-view revenue only shows that he really has no interest in the fight.
“The only way Mayweather will fight Pacquiao is the moment Pacquiao isn’t in his prime. That is his M.O. He could have fought Cotto a long time ago but ducked him. He has done it his whole career,” said Palos.
Ibay added boxing fans interest in the fight will wane if the two can’t solve their contract differences.
“If the fight doesn’t happen in November it’s over. I don’t think the public will care anymore.
I still doubt the fight will happen.
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