Pacquiao-Mayweather Clash Might Not Happen

MANILA – Even as Manny Pacquiao is set to fight Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas, talks about his possible showdown with erstwhile pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. are still going around and gaining the spotlight.

If it pushes through, fans and critics alike said the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash will surely be a blockbuster fight.

But Pacquiao, for his part, told the LATimes.com and Associated Press that the mega fight might not happen because for Mayweather, it is all about the money.

“You know obviously I’ve had minor discussions,” Canadian Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, revealed to abs-cbnNEWS.com. “Manny's focused on this fight. We have a number of options for the next fight.”

Koncz said that their options include Shane Mosley and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. “It’s not just Mayweather,” he reminded.

“Do we wanna do Mayweather? Of course we wanna do Mayweather,” stated Koncz. “But we won’t be railroaded and pushed around, bullied around.”

“I think the economics of the fight has to be right for us to agree,” he continued. “Do we need Mayweather? We don’t need Mayweather. If Manny gets past Cotto in great fashion, I don’t believe it makes a difference who he fights next.”

Great for fans

The Canadian adviser said if Manny wins on November 14, his popularity would surge just like what happened when he overpowered Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and Ricky Hatton in May.

“We'd love to make the Mayweather fight. I think it will be a great fight for the fans. I think the fans want to see it. But again we're not desperate for it,” he declared.

“We’ve had open line communications with their people over the last year so they know what terms we're looking for… We’re not gonna chase Mayweather, absolutely not.”

Mayweather, who came out of retirement in May, won over Juan Manuel Marquez, in September by unanimous decision.

“They know where we’re at and I know where they’re at so hopefully we’d come to a place where we can all agree,” said Koncz.

Pound-for-pound

Meanwhile, Pacquiao was asked about claims made by critics saying that Mayweather deserves to be the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer.

“Nagkaroon naman ng botohan. Lahat ako pa rin ang pinili. Pero sabi ko nga sa kanila okay lang kahit i-claim pa niya na siya ang [pound-for-pound king], walang problema sa akin,” Pacquiao told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

The Filipino boxing superstar (49-3-2, with 37 KOs) is No. 1 in the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound ratings while Mayweather (40-0, with 25 KOs) is No. 2.

“Alam naman ng tao, alam ng lahat kung ano ang na-achieve ko sa boxing, nagawa ko sa boxing,” said Pacquiao, who is gunning for his 7th world title. He said he hopes to make history by becoming the first boxer to win 7 titles in 7 different weight divisions.

“Sila na mag-compare. Ayoko namang buhatin ang sarili kong upuan. Okay na ako na ganito lang ako, simple lang,” he added.

Koncz, meantime, said he thinks WBO welterweight champion Cotto is better than the undefeated Mayweather.

“You know on paper at least I think Cotto has fought a lot more compelling fights than Mayweather. Mayweather seems to handpick his opponents while Cotto will fight anybody and everybody,” he said.

“So to me I feel Cotto is the much stronger fighter than Mayweather,” noted Koncz.

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