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Manny Pacquiao Calls Out Floyd Mayweather Again

By Ryan Phillips

Sep 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Manny Pacquiao poses at press conference at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in advance of World Welterweight Championship bout against Chris Algieri (not pictured) on Nov. 22, 2014. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Manny Pacquiao poses at press conference at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in advance of World Welterweight Championship bout against Chris Algieri (not pictured) on Nov. 22, 2014. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Manny Pacquiao has once again called on Floyd Mayweather to fight him

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are by far the two biggest names in boxing and have been for the better part of a decade. Fans of the sport have long clamored for the two to get in a ring and fight, but for various reasons it has never happened. On Thursday, the topic surfaced once again as Pacquiao expressed his desire to finally get in the ring with Mayweather.

The Filipino southpaw is currently finishing up preparations for a November 22 title defense against junior welterweight titlist Chris Algieri. When asked who he wanted to face next should he be victorious, Pacquiao didn’t mince words: “I do have one specific goal, and that is to give the boxing fans the fight they have asked for. I want that fight (with Floyd Mayweather Jr.) too.”

While early attempts to make the fight were hampered by issues emanating from both sides, over the past five years it has been clear Pacquiao and his team have been trying hard to make the fight happen. As of now, Mayweather doesn’t even seem interested. After out-pointing Marcos Maidana for the second time this year, Mayweather was asked about a Pacquiao fight, he demurred. “I don’t even think about Pacquiao. I don’t even know him, actually,” Mayweather said. “But I wish him nothing but the best. But that’s not my focus. I could care less about what Pacquiao does.”

“I do have one specific goal, and that is to give the boxing fans the fight they have asked for. I want that fight (with Floyd Mayweather Jr.) too.”

Mayweather should care what Pacquiao does, and the Filipino superstar should be his focus. Mayweather is 47-0 with 26 career knockouts, but if he retires without fighting the Pac-Man, that undefeated record will have a massive asterisk by it. While Money May seems to think he should always dictate terms when fighting people because of his unblemished record, he will always be compared to Pacquiao, who has been a much more exciting fighter throughout his career. Additionally, Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs) has never shied away from a potentially dangerous fight, while Mayweather has.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, seemed at a loss when asked about a potential fight with Mayweather. “How can I talk for Mayweather? As far as the Pacquiao fight is concerned with Mayweather, as much as a lot of people surrounding it would want it to happen, myself included and Manny included, Floyd is reluctant to fight Manny Pacquiao, period,” Arum said. “If people don’t see that by now, they are never going to see it.”

However disappointing it is to some of us, right now boxing is slowly dying. Public interest in the fight game has never been lower. The sport needs Pacquiao and Mayweather to finally get in a ring together. While the event probably should have happened years ago, their names alone would still inject new life into boxing. They are the two best fighters of their generation by a mile, Pacquiao the scintillating slugger and the sport’s only eight-division champion, and Mayweather one of the greatest technicians and natural talents to ever lace up gloves. The idea of that fight still makes boxing experts salivate.

Sep 13, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Floyd Mayweather in the ring after defeating Marcos Maidana (not pictured) in their WBC & WBA Welterweight and WBC Superwelter Weight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Floyd Mayweather in the ring after defeating Marcos Maidana (not pictured) in their WBC & WBA Welterweight and WBC Superwelter Weight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Mayweather is 37 and likely has two or three fights left, while Pacquiao is 35 and winding his career down as well. Floyd wants to finish his career and focus on promoting, while Manny likely has his eyes on becoming the president of his native Philippines. The fight needs to happen while they still have the fire to make it a classic.

Some will still spout the same old nonsense about Pacquiao not wanting to take drug tests (that issue was settled years ago), or that he isn’t willing to take a smaller cut to satisfy Mayweather (he has said he would), but it’s fairly obvious that the current roadblock to the fight is Floyd’s lack of interest. Maybe he doesn’t want to risk that unbeaten record against a quality opponent and would prefer to continue taking on slow, plodding guys who can’t put punches together like Canelo Alvarez and Maidana. Maybe he’s just in the game for a few more paychecks before retiring. If that’s the case, then God bless him, but he shouldn’t get upset when people question his legacy.

Pacquiao is facing Algieri (20-0, eight KOs) because he couldn’t work out a deal to fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth time and there is really no one else out there for him to match up with. Algieri pulled off a stunning upset over Ruslan Provodnikov in June and was the only viable competitor for Pacquiao’s open date. The only legitimate fight out there for Mayweather would be against Timothy Bradley, a guy who Pacquiao dominated twice (he was robbed of a win by decision in the first fight). No one is begging for Mayweather to fight anyone but Pacquiao. There is simply not a good matchup out there.

Should Pacquiao prevail next Saturday in Macau, there will be no excuses left for Mayweather. Pacquiao wants the fight, Arum wants the fight and the fans want the fight. All that is left is for Mayweather to agree. Sadly, until this point in his career, Floyd has never done what anyone other than Floyd Mayweather wanted to do.

Forget the fans, forget Pacquiao, forget Arum, Mayweather should take the fight because of what it will mean for the sport that has given him everything he now has. If for no other reason, he should get in the ring with Pacquiao because of what it will mean for boxing.

Mayweather has a chance to help save the sport, whether or not he does will define his legacy.

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