Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao revealed that "serious negotiations" are underway for a mega-fight between him and the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In a report by ESPN, Pacquiao, who will be facing Chris Algieri in November, said, "There are serious negotiations with the Mayweather camp and my promoter." He added that the match would happen "probably for next year."
After years of trying to settle issues and making a dream fight happen between the two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, Pacquiao shared that their camps are again ironing out a possible deal that would rake in as much as $292 million.
Mirror.co recalled that the two fighters almost made a fight happen in 2010, but failed when Mayweather demanded that the Filipino undergo blood testing close to the date of the match. Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said that the fight should have long happened were it not for Mayweather's undefeated record. Arum believed that Mayweather did not want to risk the possibility of losing one fight against Pacquiao, especially from 2009 to 2010 when the Filipino was at his peak.
According to Boxing News 24, Arum said, "Mayweather values his zero, his undefeated record more than life itself. Remember now this isn't a guy that has a lot of depth, this is a guy who lives on the surface as I see and being undefeated for him is everything."
Arum wanted the big bout to happen in 2015 and it seems it may finally push through.
The two boxers' rival networks, Showtime and American HBO, finally wished for a two-fight deal to happen, Arum disclosed, as noted by ESPN. "Both networks want this to happen. All signs seem to point a first fight early next year." He added, "A second fight in the autumn would provide a different cash split because the winner of the first would claim the higher percentage. As each of them believes he would win, that provides an extra incentive."
Currently, Mayweather is 37 while Pacquiao is 35 years old. Many fans thought that a 2015 fight would be a little too late, considering that both fighters would be a few years past their prime. However, should a fight push through, it is still expected to be the biggest in several decades and garner the biggest purse in the history of the sport.
The Daily Mail writes that Mayweather is set to face Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas on September 13, 2014. After that, there are two more matches from his six fight deal with Showtime, valued at $200 million.
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