MANILA, Philippines - WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao said the other day his much-awaited showdown with WBC titlist Floyd Mayweather Jr. is 80 to 90 percent sure to take place on May 5 next year and only a few more details are being ironed out before contracts are finalized.
Neither the venue nor the purses was disclosed by Pacquiao who said it was a blessing in disguise that his recent win over Juan Manuel Marquez was close because Mayweather probably wouldn’t have agreed to face him if the fight was one-sided in his favor.
Pacquiao said a sharing of the fight revenues was under discussion but implied a 50-50 split. Mayweather was the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter until he quit the ring and was succeeded by Pacquiao. Mayweather has since returned to action and is trying to reclaim the prestigious honor. Both are welterweight champions with Pacquiao recognized by the WBO and Mayweather by the WBC, making their duel a unification match.
Pacquiao broke the news during a dinner he hosted for Filipino print journalists at the Harbour View Restaurant, Luneta, last Monday. He even checked the 2012 calendar on his phone to confirm if May 5 – the Cinco de Mayo holiday in Mexico – fell on a Saturday. The date conveniently is on a Saturday so it will be shown live in Manila on Sunday morning. The fight will likely be staged in Las Vegas.
As for Mayweather’s demand for Olympic-style drug testing, Pacquiao said it was no longer an issue. The fighters will agree to drug-testing procedures stipulated by the governing state athletic commission.
Pacquiao said he won’t back down from fighting anybody “if the price is right” and even mentioned the possibility of a rematch with WBC superwelterweight champion Miguel Cotto who stopped Mexico’s Antonio Margarito in New York City last weekend. Both Cotto and Margarito have lost to Pacquiao. Margarito suffered a fractured orbital bone in bowing to Pacquiao on points last year and his damaged eye was battered repeatedly by Cotto in their recent brawl. Margarito has been advised to seriously consider retirement.
It will be recalled that in 2008, Pacquiao won a close split decision over Marquez who insisted he was robbed. Pacquiao went on to beat David Diaz, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Margarito, Sugar Shane Mosley and Marquez in that order to solidify his status as the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. The same pattern is expected from Pacquiao coming off another tight win over Marquez. Experts predict he will bounce back with a bang.
WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria’s chief second Ruben Gomez, who was Pacquiao’s cutman in his early US fights, said Mayweather is hard to hit but predicted the Filipino to win. “Mayweather isn’t heavy-handed,” said Gomez. “He uses his shoulder to limit what his opponent can hit. He’s a counterpuncher like Marquez but I think Manny can break down his style with his speed and power.”
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