A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight in 2015? Maybe, maybe not
He had just put the finishing touches on a dominating win over Marcos Maidana Saturday in a rematch of their May 3 meeting. So naturally, the world wanted to know what was next for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Showtime’s Jim Gray asked Mayweather whether he would finally be willing to meet Manny Pacquiao after years of failing to make the fight all boxing fans have wanted to see.
“Let’s do it,” was Mayweather’s response to Gray as he was soaking in the 12-round unanimous decision over Maidana at the MGM Grand Garden. It was the 47th win of his career without a blemish. “If the Pacquiao fight presents itself, let’s make it happen.”
But just when there was optimism reverberating through the boxing universe, Mayweather quickly called an audible at his postfight news conference. He was far less committal to facing Pacquiao next May, if ever.
“I don’t think about Pacquiao,” Mayweather said. “I wish him nothing but the best. But my focus is on Floyd Mayweather. That’s how I got to where I am.
“If it happens, it happens. You guys ask the same questions over and over, and you’ll get the same answers. My business motto is, I’m my own boss. I call my own shots.”
At 37, Mayweather, who is the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight champion as well as the WBC’s junior middleweight champ, plans to fight only a couple more times. His six-fight deal with Showtime has two to go and the plan is for Mayweather to return to the ring in the spring of 2015, most likely Cinco De Mayo weekend in early May. Theoretically, that would give him plenty of time to promote and train for a fight with Pacquiao, or anyone else, for that matter.
Pacquiao, the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, returns to the ring Nov. 22 when he faces Chris Algieri in Macau. His promoter, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, claims negotiations with the Mayweather camp have been ongoing as well as with the networks. That was news to Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions and Mayweather’s co-manager.
“No one has talked to me or Floyd,” Ellerbe said of a proposed Pacquiao fight. “Floyd’s willing to fight anybody and we’ll be willing to do that come May.”
When asked if the chances of a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight have improved over time, Ellerbe said: “Of course you have hope because it’s all about giving the fans what they want. We all know the obstacles that have been there in the past, but hopefully we can work through them.”
The more realistic opponent for Mayweather’s next fight is Amir Khan. The Bolton, England, welterweight was in Las Vegas for the fight and he has been stumping for some time to get a shot at Mayweather.
Both Mayweather and Ellerbe did not dismiss the idea of a Mayweather-Khan fight, which would potentially attract a large number of Khan’s fans from the United Kingdom to Las Vegas for a fight in which Mayweather would be a heavy favorite.
“Amir Khan is a good fighter,” Mayweather said. “He’s a solid competitor. If the fight with him comes my way, we’ll make it happen.”
But while praising Khan, Mayweather had a word of caution for Pacquiao.
“He needs to focus on the guy in front of him,” Mayweather said of Pacquiao’s upcoming fight with Algieri. “When Pacquiao fought (Juan Manuel) Marquez, he was thinking about Floyd Mayweather and look what happened; Marquez knocked him out.”
Mayweather added a deal doesn’t need to be made today for his next fight.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.