Pacman Vs Mayweather in Lego!
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Pacman and Mayweather's epic fight recreated in Lego! Don't miss the exclusive part where you can choose the outcome of their fight!
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: A History of Boxing's Biggest Feud
January 20, 2012Since early 2010 Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao have had on-and-off negotiations for a super fight that could rival some of the most iconic boxing matches of all time.
Never have two fighters who have never actually stepped into the ring together been so intertwined. Mayweather and Pacquiao are regarded by most as the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world, with Pacquiao currently occupying the top spot.
Because of that, the interest in a potential fight is huge, as is the possible pay day for both combatants. Due to either egos or outside pressures, however, the bout doesn't seem any closer to taking place now than it did two years ago.
There have been so many twists and turns in the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga that it's easy to forget exactly how we have gotten to this point.
Here's a little history lesson on the interaction between the two preeminent boxers in the sport today.
Mayweather and Pacquiao Agree to $50 Million Split
An agreement was originally reached in principle in late 2009 between Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight on March 13, 2010. The fighters agreed to split a $50 million guaranteed purse regardless of the fight's result and were also scheduled to receive much of the hefty pay-per-view revenue that the fight would have generated.
At the time of the agreement, both Mayweather and Pacquiao had essentially dominated all comers and were looking for greater challenges and greater financial compensation. In terms of monetary value, it's safe to say that a March 13, 2010 match between Mayweather and Pacquiao would have been the biggest in boxing history.
At the time it seemed as though a fight was imminent and all but official, but this was simply the beginning of what remains an epic rivalry.
Mayweather Wants Olympic-Style Drug Testing
With seemingly everything in place for a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao bout, there was just one hurdle left to clear. Rather than the customary drug testing administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Mayweather was firm in his stance that he wanted Olympic-style drug testing to take place during the training leading up to the match.
This would have involved random blood and urine tests all the way up until the start of the fight. Pacquiao's camp would not agree to those terms, partly because Pacquiao believed that blood testing within the 30 days of the fight would weaken him, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, balked at Mayweather's proposal and decided to call off the fight. He later accused Mayweather of trying to avoid the fight himself.
We're going in a different direction. What I believe is that Floyd never really wanted the fight and this is just harassment of Pacquiao.
We appeased Mayweather by agreeing to a urine analysis at any time, and blood testing before the press conference and after the fight. Mayweather pressed for blood testing even up to the weigh-in. He knew that Manny gets freaked out when his blood gets taken, and feels that it weakens him. This is just harassment and, to me, just signaled that he didn't want the fight.
Mayweather Misses Agreement Deadline
While the initial agreement of a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao broke down, the two sides went through a mediation process in order salvage it. Reports stated the two sides had finally settled on all sticking points that were holding up the bout and all that was needed was Mayweather's approval.
Arum gave Mayweather a deadline of July 17, 2010 to agree to a Nov. 13, 2010 fight, however the deadline came and went, so Mayweather lost his exclusive negotiating rights according to the Arizona Daily Star.
Although Mayweather never gave his reasoning for failing to sign the contract prior to Arum's deadline, he didn't seem to be too broken up about the fight falling through once again.
I'm not interested in rushing to do anything.
No Further Mayweather-Pacquiao Discussions Took Place?
Just two days after Arum's deadline for a Mayweather agreement came and went, Leonard Ellerbe, who was one of Mayweather's top advisers at the time, said that no further negotiations had actually taken place following the initial agreement falling through, according to Josh Slagter of MLive.com.
Here are the facts: Al Haymon, Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis and the truth is, no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13.
Either (president of HBO Sports) Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.
Greenburg acted as a mediator between the two sides, and while he said there were some negotiations, he never gave any indication that there was an agreement as Arum suggested.
Pacquiao Fights Joshua Clottey Instead, Mayweather Fights Shane Mosley
Once Mayweather failed to agree to Top Rank's apparent deadline, Pacquiao agreed to fight Joshua Clottey of Ghana instead. While Clottey was certainly a respectable opponent, he was nowhere near the quality of Mayweather—as evidenced by Pac-Man's convincing unanimous-decision win.
Mayweather decided to move on as well, and accepted a fight with "Sugar" Shane Mosley in May of 2010. Like Pacquiao, Mayweather dominated his replacement fight and easily defeated the formidable Mosley by unanimous decision.
Pacquiao Camp Never Agreed to Olympic-Style Drug Testing
Arum said that Pacquiao agreed to drug testing up until the day of a potential Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight and they had given Mayweather what he wanted, but it turns out that Arum might not have been telling the whole truth.
In an interview with Fight Hype, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz denied that the Pacquiao camp had agreed to that type of Olympic-style testing. While he did say that Pacquiao agreed to testing up to 14 days before the fight, that was the extent of it.
Will we give blood five days, seven days before the fight? You know, that's something I have to talk to Manny about, but we have nothing to hide. I certainly can tell you we will not give any type of blood on the day of the fight.
Pacquiao Camp Demands Antonio Margarito Drug Test
After defeating Joshua Clottey soundly, Pacquiao went on to fight Antonio Margarito in November of 2010. Just like Clottey, Pacquiao had no trouble with Margarito as he beat him in a unanimous decision. The true controversy came, however, when Pacquiao's camp demanded a random drug test of Margarito right before the fight.
According to CBS News, over-the-counter weight loss supplement Hydroxycut was spotted in Margarito's locker prior to the fight. Team Pacquiao wanted an immediate drug test, but it was determined that he wouldn't be tested until after the fight as is customary.
This was quite ironic as the Pacquiao camp refused to agree to Olympic-style testing requests from Mayweather. Had Margarito been tested before the fight, it would have been consistent with that same Olympic-style testing.
Mayweather Goes on Hiatus
Following the breakdown of talks with the Pacquiao camp and a victory over Shane Mosley in 2010, Mayweather decided to take a hiatus from boxing. He repeatedly said that boxing wasn't on his mind when asked about negotiations with Pacquiao, and it seems as though he was being truthful.
Mayweather previously took 21 months off after decisively beating Ricky Hatton in December of 2007 before stepping back into the ring and taking care of Juan Manuel Marquez in September of 2009. His more recent leave from boxing lasted 16 months, during which no talks of a fight between he and Pacquiao occurred.
Mayweather Returns, Beats Victor Ortiz
After 16 months away from boxing, Mayweather finally decided to return when it was announced he would face Victor Ortiz for the WBC Welterweight Championship on Sept. 17, 2011. Much of the betting action was going toward the younger and less rusty Ortiz despite Mayweather's unblemished record.
Mayweather proved why he is still one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing, however, as he scored a knockout victory over Ortiz in the fourth round. The fight wasn't without controversy, of course, as Mayweather was criticized for sucker punching Ortiz to knock him out.
Moments before the end of the fight, Ortiz headbutted Mayweather. The two fighters were separated and when Ortiz leaned in to apologize, Mayweather caught him with two flush shots. While it caught Ortiz by surprise, the fighters weren't broken up at the time, so the decision stood.
Pacquiao Escapes Juan Manuel Marquez
After Mayweather impressively defeated Victor Ortiz, it was Pacquiao's turn to fight and perhaps keep the hope of a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao super fight alive. His opponent was Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12, 2011.
Pacquiao had fought Marquez on two previous occasions, boxing to a draw in the first meeting and earning a spilt-decision win in the second. Despite Pac-Man's undefeated mark against Marquez, many believed that Marquez could have just as easily won both fights. Skepticism of Pacquiao's prowess against Marquez continued as it was perceived that Marquez dominated the third fight of the trilogy.
Despite that, Pacquiao was awarded a majority-decision win. There is no question that Marquez befuddled Pacquiao throughout the bout and didn't allow him to carry out his usual gameplan, but the statistics told a different story as Pacquiao was statistically better. Pac-Man may not have been overly impressive, but his win kept hope alive for a showdown with Mayweather.
Mayweather Rents MGM Grand Arena for May 5, 2012
Less than two months after his triumph over Victor Ortiz, Floyd Mayweather made plans for a fight at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas for May 5, 2012. Mayweather's reserving of the venue was announced by adviser Leonard Ellerbe on Nov. 2, 2011.
According to Chris LaBate of BoxingScene.com, Mayweather booked the arena with the intention of fighting Pacquiao. This, of course, came before any further negotiations were made between the two camps, but Ellerbe said that Mayweather's goal was clear.
We're looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is, the little fella (Pacquiao). Floyd made it very clear that he wants to give the fans the biggest fights that are out there. He wants to stay active. We're going to do everything in our power to make the biggest fight out there for the fans, and we all know what the fight is.
Floyd made it very clear to us what he wanted to do. He told us he is looking to make the biggest fight that is out there and to make it in May.
Mayweather Sentenced to 90 Days in Jail
After avoiding a trial in conjunction with allegations that he assaulted his ex-girlfriend in September of 2010, Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail by a Las Vegas judge on Dec. 21, 2011, according to WRIC-TV8.
In addition to 90 days in jail, Mayweather was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and to pay a $2,500 fine. Mayweather agreed to a plea deal by pleading guilty so that he wouldn't have to face a felony trial. The sentence put a wrench in plans for a May 5 fight against Pacquiao since Mayweather was ordered to report to jail on Jan. 6.
While that meant that he would have been out of jail by early April, that certainly wouldn't have been enough time to train for a fight with Pacquiao. It isn't as if an agreement was in place, but the sentence threw yet another wrench into plans for the fight that may never be.
Mayweather Jail Term Moved to June
Mayweather was scheduled to begin his 90-day jail term on Jan. 6, but thanks to a last-minute plea from his lawyer, the sentence was postponed until June 1, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN. Mayweather's lawyer, Richard Wright, cited that Mayweather's May 5 fight would be a huge revenue boost to the Las Vegas area.
Judge Melissa Saragosa listened to Wright's plea and ultimately agreed to suspend the sentence due to Mayweather's previous commitments.
Mr. Mayweather has an obligation to this court. But given the fact that Mr. Mayweather has these obligations, I am going to grant your request.
The suspended sentence kept Mayweather on track for a May 5 fight, with Pacquiao being the main target. Momentum once again swung in the direction of the fight actually taking place, but there was still plenty of work to be done.
Mayweather Calls out Pacquiao Again
With negotiations having broken down numerous times in the past, Mayweather decided to use intimidation tactics last week in calling out Pacquiao on Twitter. Mayweather called Pacquiao a "punk" and implored him to accept a fight scheduled for May 5, according to David Mayo of MLive.com.
Mayweather's first post on the subject read:
Manny Pacquiao I'm calling you out let's fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see.
The follow-up came moments later:
My Jail Sentence was pushed back because the date was locked in. Step up Punk.
Regardless of whether Pacquiao is to accept the fight or not, Mayweather has a fight booked for May 5, so he'll be competing one way or another. Bob Arum has continually said that a May 5 fight is out of the question for Pac-Man, though.
Bob Arum Says Late-May Fight Is Possible
After months of relative silence on the Team Pacquiao front, promoter Bob Arum recently made remarks regarding Mayweather's tentative date of May 5. While Arum said that a May 5 fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao couldn't happen, he did keep hope alive by saying a late-May fight was possible, according to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
May 5 is out for us, it can't happen, because we want to explore the idea of getting a [temporary] stadium/arena up on the streets of Las Vegas that can seat 40,000. The end of May is a possibility.
While the end of May might work for Pacquiao and co., Mayweather already has the MGM Grand Arena reserved for May 5, so it would seem likely that whether it's Pacquiao or not, he'll be fighting somebody on that date.
Arum's talk of setting up an outdoor arena is just another example of the disconnect between the two camps involved in this situation. Had both Mayweather's and Pacquiao's people sat down and talked about logistics, then things could be a lot further along and a lot more certain.
Pacquiao Agrees to May 5 Fight with 50/50 Purse Split
After being called out by Mayweather over Twitter, Pacquiao took to social media in his own right as he agreed to fight Mayweather on May 5—with some caveats. According to Ben Watanabe of NESN.com. Pacquiao said in a blog post that Mayweather would just have to agree to an equal monetary split.
To all of my fans, Mayweather just needs to agree to and accept a 50-percent split, and if he does then the fight will go through. He's the one who needs to agree.
He's the one who has to say yes. The reason is because he talks to a lot of people. He has a lot of representatives. If he takes the fight, he can make $50-$60 million. That's how much he can make.
It was Pacquiao's first public agreement to date, but he really just shifted the focus to Mayweather more than anything. With the manner in which Mayweather booked the arena ahead of time and called out Pacquiao, he basically put all the pressure on Pac-Man. This faux agreement did little to advance talks.
Freddie Roach Makes Plea for Fight
The Pacquiao camp has largely played coy during the recent jockeying for a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, but Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach didn't sugarcoat things in a recent interview with Dan Rafael of ESPN. He made it clear that he wants the super fight to take place.
I want the fight bad. It's definitely a challenge, and we need to challenge Manny to get him motivated. He doesn't get motivated for ordinary guys, and Mayweather isn't an ordinary guy.
I have to believe that Roach said this on his own without the blessing of promoter Bob Arum because Arum and co. have acted as if they are disinterested in the fight throughout much of the process. Roach also said that he believes the fight will happen, but not in May.
My theory on what's going to happen is Mayweather will fight someone [May 5] and Pacquiao will fight Lamont Peterson or [Timothy] Bradley [in June], and in November they'll finally fight each other, Roach said. I know Mayweather got 90 days, but he can be out a lot sooner for good behavior.
Mayweather Secures Guaranteed Purse
When Pacquiao agreed to fight Mayweather in a blog post last week, he said that the fight couldn't happen unless Mayweather could guarantee his purse, like Bob Arum did for Pacquiao. However, according to Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin, Mayweather has, in fact, found a way to guarantee his purse.
Mayweather tweeted that he secured the purse guarantee and he dubbed May 5 to be “Pacquiao ass whooping day.” Giongco also reported that all the Pacquiao camp has to do in order to make the fight happen is to iron out the details with Golden Boy Promotions.
Both Mayweather and Pacquiao continue to say that they are atop each other's list of desired opponents despite other viable candidates waiting in line. The game continues, though, as Mayweather has fulfilled Pacquiao's request—so now the ball is firmly back in Team Pacquiao's court.
Pacquiao, Arum Say No to May 5 Bout, Choose Different Opponent
After much waffling from the Pacquiao camp, promoter Bob Arum has gone back on Pacquiao's agreement to fight Mayweather on May 5 and said that a different opponent has been picked out for a June 9 fight instead, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
Arum said that Pacquiao's next foe will be one of Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Lamont Peterson or Miguel Cotto, although he wouldn't specify which one. The fight is scheduled to take place off the Las Vegas strip in a temporary outdoor arena that Arum has been trying to get built.
Arum said that the arena couldn't be finished until late May, so having the fight at the MGM Grand on May 5 wouldn't have been smart from a monetary standpoint.
To be safe, they said they needed until the end of May to get it done. Economically, it’s a problem that Floyd created. The amount that would be lost by moving it up to May 5th is enormous. The fight is not going to happen on May 5th. We’ll do the fight in November. There is no real magic in doing it in May.
Arum once again left the door open for a potential fight in the future, but yet another build toward a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight has ended in disappointment.
What Happens Next?
After getting boxing fans' hopes up for the umpteenth time, the latest attempt at a super fight has fallen by the wayside once again. After Mayweather completes his fight on May 5 and Pacquiao on June 9, the focus will undoubtedly shift back again, though.
For two fighters who have continually said that boxing each other is the main priority, Mayweather and Pacquiao certainly haven't made much headway. While the fight was close to happening in the past, it was probably foolish to think that May 5 would be any different.
After all, the two sides hardly had any contact, and the extent of the negotiations was essentially the two fighters calling each other out over the Internet. Had the two sides discussed things well ahead of time and ironed out the details regarding the venue, then perhaps it would be a different story.
Until these fighters each reach the age of 50, I don't think we'll hear the end of a possible fight between the two. Mayweather has gone through two semi-retirements, and even they haven't cooled the speculation in the least. If they can't agree soon, however, then there is no reason to fight—especially if both men are past their prime.
Mayweather is 34 and Pacquiao is 33, so it isn't as if either fighter has a ton of time left at the top of the sport. Regardless of that, tough talk will surely continue from both sides while the rest of us are left to wonder what could have been.
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Comments
Post a Comment
Let me know what you think!