Pacquiao Watch: Sorry, it ain’t happening

That sure is a long time coming.  But sorry, very bad timing.

Good media copy but it is sloppy.

It sure will give his fans a toothy grin.  But Floyd Mayweather Jr won’t come rushing in.

The challenge to do the only fight that only matters this side of the century – for charity – is a big practical joke.

A PR thing, nothing more.

Had that challenge been thrown right after Manny Pacquiao gave the bigger and taller Antonio Margarito the worst beating in his life, Floyd would have been swept away into the dustbin of boxing’s ‘Hall of Shame’.

Given Floyd’s obsession with money – after all he changed his moniker from ‘Pretty Boy’ to ‘Money’ – there is no way you can accuse him of running away from the fight precisely because it is for charity.

Floyd will never do it.  Floyd will all the more laugh his way out of it.

Instead of giving him the incentive that matters most at this stage of his career, you are taking away the raison d’ etre why Floyd is cherry-picking his opponents by daring him to do a charity fight.

For Floyd, it is a money thing.

Take that away from him and you shut the door for the fight.

It is not so much about the fear of losing to Pacquiao that Floyd hates most. It is the fear of losing his ability to earn easy money by picking up easy opponents that is preventing him from accepting a Pacquiao duel.

Floyd knows only Pacquiao has the gift and skill set to potentially erase the “0” in his fight record. He probably can deal with that the moment he accepts a fight with Pacquiao for a kingly if not stately ransom. But at this stage of his career and money-wise, he is not in a hurry and probably does not care.

Floyd’s last fight – against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – was an easy US$80 million workout for him. He will probably get purses around that vicinity fighting the likes of Marcos Maidana and Amir Khan. Not a lot lesser against anybody else (but who?).

Fighting Pacquiao will potentially earn him US$150 million.  But that will also probably mean buying a one way ticket to retirement.

The thought of losing his market value with a defeat to Pacquiao is the one giving Floyd sleepless nights the most.

That is why that fight will never happen unless Floyd is set to retire.

That is why fight fans can only hope it will happen next year.  When Floyd says he will retire in 2015. But then again, who really believes Floyd is retiring next year and will fight Pacquiao for a final curtain call?  (Didn’t he retire twice already?)

Will Floyd give Pacquiao the opportunity to have the last dance with him?

Probably, but definitely not for charity.

That is why the Pacquiao challenge is all hot air designed to confuse boxing fans into further believing Floyd is scared of probably the greatest athlete the Philippines has ever produced.

Of course Floyd Mayweather Jr is scared of Manny Pacquiao.  But these are for different reasons.

And charity is not one of them. – Rappler.com