Well Mayweather v Pacquiao is back on the wish list yet again, if only I had $1 for every time I have written that opening line.
You are probably wondering like many of us why the biggest fight ever held and one that is set to break all financial records is so hard to make.
The Mayweather v Pacquiao fight is the easiest sell known to man, well at least to everyone but the two men that will do battle in centre ring.
It has taken five years, yet we are still locked in a firestorm of political and egotistical struggle between the two, in which somewhere along the line the good of the sport that made both men millionaires was lost.
Both camps look at the potential millions on offer to them, but with only the winner taking the spoils, for some reason for both Mayweather and Pacquiao that isn’t quite enough.
Never mind the fact that each man is set to take away $100 million dollars minimum for just lacing up his gloves, what concerns both parties is what will happen to the loser.
There is an old adage used in the world of sports marketing, ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’, and it’s the reason why New York Giants jerseys are the hardest to find right now.
The winner of the biggest fight ever will take home millions through endorsements and media coverage generated from their victory alone, and the loser will see a sizeable chunk come out of their future box office revenue.
For so long the narrative of Mayweather-Pacquiao has had us all tuned in to witness the next twist in the tale, with millions of us paying for the privilege and thus lining the pockets of both men from our pay per view buys. When the final chapter is written, and we finally have a winner, one man will see those pay per view buys skyrocket, whilst the loser becomes second best.
Despite the chance for both men to be validated as No.1 pound for pound and hold multiple world titles, and finally "officially" have the ability to call themselves the best fighter in the world, to Mayweather and Pacquiao that just isn’t enough, and that sadly epitomises what Boxing has become.
Since the dawn of time, two men have been able to settle their differences with their fists, devoid of colour, creed, science or societies labels, where a man's heart mattered more than training, income, education or opportunity.
It's a sport where a black man who couldn't get service at his local restaurant became the most loved fighter of all time.
It's a sport where a street kid lost to society fought his way to a heavyweight title and the millions that came along the way.
The Boxing ring is the ultimate proving ground and one that takes no prisoners, some leave with less than they arrived and others leave with much more than their wildest dreams, and it all started with two men lacing up their gloves with a desire to see who the better man was.
It's ironic for a sport that has lived and breathed out of the gambling capital of the world, under the bright lights of Las Vegas; both men are not willing to take the gamble.
What is even more ironic and harder to comprehend is that it's a gamble were strangely everybody wins.
Follow me on Twitter at @adamsantarossa
Terrific article mate, couldn't have said it any better. Your words about the ring has pumped me up even more for my own fight at the end of the month!
ReplyDeleteWhether Mayweather wants to argue that he shouldn't have to accept a 50/50 split or Pacquaio's refusal to undergo Olympic style drug testing as the primary reason, I agree it is a damn shame that the biggest boxing gate of all time probably won't ever happen now...
Now we can only look at the positives and that is the two fighters new foes...
Frankly I am happy with Pacquaio vs Bradley because it'll be Mannys toughest test in years as Bradley is a genuine world class fighter. Undefeated and sporting a respectable resume, out of the potential foes this is the best fight Pacquaio could have chosen in terms of gaining the most respect and credibility....
And to turn out attention to Mayweather vs Cotto, whilst this is a fight four years overdue it is quite possibly the biggest fight that Mayweather could have picked beyond Manny and dare I say, I believe that it will smash PPV records. The fact that Mayweather is going up in weight rather than making Cotto fight him at a catchweight where he'd have the most advantage (something that Manny and Freddie Roach have done in their last few title fights), gets me more respect for the man known as 'Money' Mayweather.
I predict that both men will win by UD and Mayweather will never fight again, going to jail and retiring with the perfect 43-0 record...