By Jake Donovan - You knew it was coming. The moment that word of Floyd Mayweather’s Twitter-announced comeback hit the press, the suggestion was all but inevitable.
If Mayweather gets past Victor Ortiz on September 17 and Manny Pacquiao survives a third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez two months later, then maybe – just maybe – they finally square off sometime in 2012.
When, oh when will we as an industry ever learn?
Often, battles to determine pound-for-pound supremacy are purely subjective and mythical. Rare is the occasion when two fighters campaign in the same weight class, or close enough to where it’s a reasonable request to have them settle their difference against one another rather than comparing their recent performances.
For the past two years – basically ever since Mayweather went from a retired fighter to one who has at least played the game in a part-time capacity – such a fight has been well within reach.
For the past two years, all we’ve heard is “wait ‘till next time.”
The sales pitch heading into every fight featuring Mayweather and Pacquiao the past few years is that it’s an audition for a potential head-on collision somewhere down the road.
Approximately 6 million pay-per-view units have been sold ever since the idea of a Mayweather-Pacquaio showdown has legitimately gained legs.
The lessons to be learned by the boxing community – there’s no guaranteed “next time.”
