Will money or legacy bait Mayweather?

MANILA, Philippines - WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. could fill up a treasure chest with greenbacks and establish a legacy as the greatest fighter in this era if he battles Manny Pacquiao before the public tires of waiting for the match to happen. The money will come in, win or lose, but the legacy will kick in only if Mayweather beats Pacquiao and that’s where the problem lies.

Mayweather, 37, owns a 47-0 record, with 26 KOs, and isn’t likely to risk a blemish by taking on an opponent who could ruin his claim to immortality. “The smart fighters last a long, long time by being extremely smart,” Mayweather told writer Matt Christie in Boxing News: The Annual 2015. “If I’ve got the fight won and it’s in the bag, why would I go out there and fight toe-to-toe in the 12th round? I have not been in this sport over 30 years to go and mess my legacy up like that. I just can’t do it.”

It’s in the guts department where Mayweather differs from Pacquiao. The Filipino ring icon couldn’t care less if the fight’s in the bag and it’s the 12th round – he’ll go out there to give the fans what they paid for, an exciting encounter down to the last second. That approach, of course, has its risks. Juan Manuel Marquez was almost out on his feet when Pacquiao came in for the kill with two seconds left in the sixth round of their fourth duel two years ago. Pacquiao paid a hefty price for his courage and was knocked out. Mayweather wouldn’t have done the same in that situation.

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach once said Mayweather is obsessed with staying undefeated and that’s the only reason why the Money Man hasn’t agreed to face his nemesis. The fight should’ve happened four or five years ago but Mayweather made outlandish demands not to make it happen. His strategy was to wait for Pacquiao to get older, slower and less dangerous. Now that Mayweather has two fights left in his $250 Million, six-fight Showtime contract, he’s running out of time to settle things with Pacquiao once and for all. Mayweather has declared that he’ll fight only twice more – in May and September next year – then hang up his gloves for good.

Since losing to Marquez, Pacquiao has three in a row, outpointing Brandon Rios, Timothy Bradley and Chris Algieri to once more breathe down Mayweather’s neck in the race for No. 1 in the pound-for-pound ladder. Surely, Mayweather can’t ignore Pacquiao any longer. Mayweather has run out of credible opponents that he apparently made his first fight against Marcos Maidana competitive to lead into a rematch. Maidana isn’t in Mayweather’s class and it showed clearly in the return bout. Mayweather fooled the fans into thinking Maidana had a chance to win in their second fight.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum wrote a guest column for Boxing News (Nov. 27, 2014) and said he’d like Mayweather next for Pacquiao. Perhaps, only Mayweather wouldn’t. Pacquiao himself said it’s the fight the world wants and the fans deserve. It’s the fight that will save boxing from the market invasion of mixed martial arts. It’s the fight that will re-establish the integrity of the fight game. Unfortunately, it’s all in Mayweather’s hands because while Pacquiao is willing to fight under any conditions, he’s just making it difficult to happen.

Mayweather recently said he’s ready for Pacquiao and set May 2 as the date for their appointment. But Arum said May 2 has been scheduled for the showdown between Saul Alvarez and Miguel Cotto. Surely, Mayweather knew that. Is he once again trying to fool the public? Pacquiao said he’ll do whatever Mayweather wants to confirm the fight – random blood testing, a 147-pound limit, Mayweather’s choice of gloves and cut of the pie. Pacquiao even said he’ll fight Mayweather for charity if Mayweather does the same.

Arum’s contract with Pacquiao ends in 2016 and that means four more fights. A dream scenario would be a trilogy with Mayweather then a final bout before his countrymen, perhaps in the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena. Maybe, a fifth meeting with Marquez could be squeezed in the schedule if Mayweather chickens out of a trilogy.

“I’ve talked to the chairman of the board at CBS, whose company Showtime has the rights to Mayweather,” said Arum. “I know that the chairman of CBS, Les Moonves, has talked to HBO that controls the rights to Pacquiao. So those talks have happened and I’ve talked to Moonves. Based on that, I’m optimistic on the fight happening. But I’ve had no conversations at all with Mayweather or (advisor) Al Haymon. We’re going to try to finalize the Mayweather fight. If we’re able to do that, fine. If not, we’ll find an appropriate opponent for Manny for early next year.”

Former IBF bantamweight champion Stuart Hall said the fight will happen. “It’s a fight Mayweather will want to make because he’ll probably earn around $150 Million,” he said. “He needs to fight Pacquiao before he retires or it’ll hang over him for the rest of his life.” Hall said money and legacy will bring Mayweather into the ring to face Pacquiao.