Pacquiao agrees to smaller purse

Will Mayweather take the bait?
By NICK GIONGCO
December 17, 2011, 10:20pm

MANILA, Philippines — The ball is now in Floyd Mayweather’s court.

Manny Pacquiao said from his home in General Santos City that he is going the extra mile in making sure the proposed super fight with the brash and unbeaten American fighter finally happens in 2012.

Pacquiao is willing to take the smaller piece of the pie as long as the dream fight takes place.

“Walang problema kahit pa mas maliit ang premyo ko,” said Pacquiao, who turned 33 on Saturday. “Ang importante ay matuloy lang ang laban.”

Pacquiao’s pronouncement that he is giving Mayweather the lion’s share of the pot only puts credence that he is moving heaven and earth to make it happen.

The subject of random blood testing is apparently a non-issue now since Arum had mentioned many times in the past month or so that Pacquiao has agreed to Mayweather’s demands.

Arum is arriving in Manila in the first week of January to discuss Pacquiao’s future.

On their radar screen of course is Mayweather and a few other guys in case the fight the world is aching to see doesn’t materialize.

Arum is looking at a fourth fight between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, while waiting on the wings are undefeated Tim Bradley and even Miguel Cotto, who is hot on the comeback trail.

The target date for the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown is May 2012.

Marquez has also expressed his willingness to rumble with Pacquiao again, saying that he might just hang up his gloves in case a fourth match with his rival is shelved.

Bradley also wants a piece of Pacquiao owing to the fortune that such a fight would bring.

Cotto, who lost to Pacquiao on a 12th-round stoppage two years ago, has also expressed his desire to be given a shot at payback most specially that he has a new set of trainers.

Ringsiders are of the belief that Pacquiao decided to take a smaller percentage of the revenue knowing that he has a solid shot at dealing Mayweather his first loss.

Inflicting Mayweather his first defeat, according to them, would compensate Pacquiao's take-home pay.

 

Comments

Reading from sport writers in boxing, it does seem that some are beginning to put down Manny Pacquiao, like a star losing its lustre. They remember only the fights that are not up to the way Manny annahilates his opponents. They also attack the promoter of Manny, Bob Arum. In my opinion, let Manny be Manny and Arum be Arum. Let Arum do the promoting and Pacquiao do the boxing. Forget the hype of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Manny can even retire now and still be considered the #1 pound for pound boxer of the world - no one ever had accomplished to win 8 world championship belts, from being a flyweight to welterweight. That in itself is unbelievable. Let Arum put multi million dollars in Pacquiao's pocket and pull more Filipino boxers along to be visible to the world, especially in the American boxing scene.

Your analysis is as good as mine. He has a strong faith that he can deal Mayweather his first loss! By accepting a smaller purse initially, he can lure Mayweather to sign the contract & fight! After he beat him, the dividends will come by demanding a bigger purse in the rematch & the whole PPV earnings as Floyd will not be the PPV attraction that he is after Manny demolished him!

manny is after honor, money can take care of itself. saludo ako sa iyo, manny.

Now let's see what's Mayweather's next excuse...he'll probably say "wait I need to get my sex change operation done first."