The world is still awaiting the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Both coming for a win, will this be the year the world will see the boxing spectacle of the century? Yes, no and maybe.
Pacquiao has renewed his contract with Top Rank Inc. last May. And in this new contract, Pacquiao will remain under Top Rank's roof until Dec. 31, 2016. This new agreement may have shattered all hopes for the mega bout with Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr. to happen.
According to IBT, Arum said in his statement that "We are pleased that together with our partners at HBO we will continue presenting to the public fights of the great Manny Pacquiao through the end of 2016. The partnership among Manny, Top Rank, MP Promotions and HBO has been a wonderful one for all parties and for the public and it's great that it will continue for the years to come." Pacquiao has been with Top Rank since 2005.
PacMan will have five more fights under Top Rank. One more this year, two fights in 2015 and two more in 2016. But what everyone is waiting for is, when will the $300 million fight between the two best pound-for-pound boxers ever happen?
Mayweather Jr. said in past statements that he will not fight PacMan as long as he is in Top Rank. Why? It's because Pretty Boy sued Arum back in 2008 for not paying him in two fights. Currently, Mayweather Jr. is under a six-fight contract with Showtime.
On the other hand, there is still hope that the fight will happen, and it will happen in Dubai. Top Rank and Showtime aren't the ones who will make it happen, it's Prince Amir Shafipour. In an interview with Gulf News, he shared that he is dead serious about bringing the fight to Dubai by next year.
Shafipour told Gulf News "I will honestly and truthfully tell you that if anyone can convince them to fight, and to fight in Dubai, I can. I have a lot of worldwide connections, with managers, promoters, fighters, people in the business, who speak the same language that Mayweather and Pacquiao are speaking. You have to be on the same page as them and only then will you get their attention."
He further adds that "I am currently working with a major boxing promoter in the USA, who is connected to both the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps, and who has the capacity to help me pull this off. It's not a boast, it's a commitment."
Shafipour also shared that this fight is something boxing fans have been waiting for since 2011, but there are so many issues that prevent the fruition of the fight like dope testing, money, venue and weight division. Yet, he believes that all these issues can be resolved, saying "I believe we have the formula to make it happen. And then the whole boxing scene will explode."
Considering that Pacquiao is now 35, and Mayweather Jr. is already 37, the fight should happen really soon...next year would be a great time, right Shafipour?
