Floyd-Manny fight would be worth the wait

Several hours passed with nothing coming from Floyd Mayweather Jr., who obviously does not care about newspaper deadlines. As Thursday afternoon turned to night, there still was no fight.

The announcement was supposed to be imminent, sources said, so just wait. This is the routine for those who cover boxing. Everyone waits on Floyd, and Floyd will talk when Floyd is ready. He’s got the money and the power, so he can make everyone wait.

Manny Pacquiao was reported to be in the Philippines, and he was waiting, too.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao matchup, tentatively set for May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden, would be monstrous for the state’s sports books.

“The biggest wagering event of the year is always going to be the Super Bowl,” said Jay Kornegay, Westgate Las Vegas sports book director. “Outside of the Super Bowl, this could be the single biggest wagering event we’ve ever had.”

This would top all but one NFL game, and this year’s Super Bowl drew a handle of almost $116 million in Nevada, so this would be significant. It is estimated the NCAA Tournament, which is 60-plus basketball games over three weeks, pulls in a handle of around $80 million.

After debating some figures, Kornegay threw out $50 million as the state’s potential handle for Mayweather-Pacquiao, and added, “That’s a total guess.”

It sounds about right. The hype for this fight might surpass the marketing for “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a movie that has quickly made more than $300 million worldwide. This fight sells itself, and the media will promote the heck out of it.

Jimmy Vaccaro, a longtime oddsmaker, is a longtime boxing fan, as well. He said he has lost interest in the sport in recent years, but he’s got a lot of interest in a Mayweather-Pacquiao meeting. He opened a line on the fight Oct. 30 at the South Point sports book and posted Mayweather as a minus-300 favorite. The first big bet came in on Pacquiao, dropping the line to minus-260.

“I would think it closes minus-185 the night of the fight,” Vaccaro said. “I would bet ‘yes’ that in the next few days they announce it. Let’s just hope they do it.”

At the Westgate today, Mayweather is minus-275 and Pacquiao is plus-235, and Kornegay is anticipating action on the underdog.

“I think you will see a lot more support for Pacquiao than most people think,” Kornegay said. “People think Pacquiao has lost a lot in the last few years, but I also think people might believe you’re going to see the Pacquiao of 10 years ago. If there is one fight he’s going to be focused and geared up for, it’s going to be this one.

“I’m not saying he’s going to win. You certainly hate to bet against Mayweather. He’s untouchable. But Pacquiao is relentless.”

I was the Review-Journal’s boxing writer for a short time and covered the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya fight in May 2007. The hype was off the hook, but the pillow fight that followed did not come close to living up to it. Mayweather won by split decision.

If Mayweather and Pacquiao finally hook up, expect action. Most analysts predict Mayweather will be set in his usual defensive stance, Pacquiao will be aggressive and relentless, and Mayweather will pick Pacquiao apart and win by decision.

It could be the best fight between little guys since Pedro Martinez and Don Zimmer got tangled up on the Boston infield.

Mayweather (47-0) has annoyed fans for years by beating a lineup of inferior opponents and doing it in an uninspiring way. It’s time for him to stop dodging Pacquiao, and there’s no reason for it. There are boxing handicappers who believe Mayweather realistically should be a 4-1 favorite.

“It probably would have been a pick’em fight five years ago,” Kornegay said, “but it’s not so lopsided that it would be difficult for people to wager on it.”

Mayweather was last seen at the NBA All-Star Game in New York on Sunday, when he said, “It’s just been speculations and rumors, but hopefully we can make the fight happen.”

Pacquiao checked in Monday, saying, “The fight is near. The negotiations are nearly finished.”

It was late Thursday, past midnight on the East Coast and nearing the newspaper deadline here, when I checked with Review-Journal boxing writer Steve Carp, who said, “Still waiting.”

There was no action on Mayweather’s Twitter page. There was speculation on the Internet that the pay-per-view cost for the fight could be around $100.

“I would not want to pay that much to see it, but this is the fight I’ll do it for,” Kornegay said. “As disgusted as I am about this not happening five years ago, I’ll definitely watch this fight.”

If it happens, it should be worth the wait.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports betting columnist Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts “The Las Vegas Sportsline” weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.