Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao 2015: Don’t Believe New Report Saying Fight A Done Deal — Here’s Why
Is the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight finally a done deal for May 2, 2015? A report surfacing earlier Saturday cited sources close to Pacquiao saying that the Filipino icon — who also serves in congress and plays professional basketball in his home country — “completed his contractual agreements on Saturday and that Mayweather is set to sign and will announce the contest.”
The report, by Gareth Davies, boxing correspondent for Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, went on to make the startling declaration that Mayweather could choose the NBA All Star Game, which happens Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City, as the site to make the big announcement.
Understandably, the report went quickly viral, and the hoped-for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight was reported as a sure thing by numerous online media outlets.
But not so fast. One veteran boxing writer, ESPN‘s Dan Rafael, went on record as an official skeptic of the report that Mayweather and Pacquiao have finally settled their differences at the negotiating table and are now ready to settle things in the ring.
Everyone remain calm.
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) February 14, 2015
#MayweatherPacquiao deal is nearing finish line one way or other but 2 sources involved said it is NOT done at this point. — Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) February 14, 2015
Why is Rafael throwing cold water all over the reports, that were already eliciting euphoria from boxing fans? His explanation is simple.
Whether Manny signed or not Floyd has not per 2 sources directly involved. ‘Floyd’s the one we need to worry about not Manny,’ source said.
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) February 14, 2015
Or, as Boxing News writer Chris Williams explained the situation, this “new” report is actually nothing boxing fans haven’t heard at least a couple of times already.
“Pacquiao can sign contracts until he’s blue in the face and it matters little, because Mayweather is the one that needs to sign the contract,” Williams wrote. “Until he signs the contract, Pacquiao’s signing or not signing of the contract is meaningless. Mayweather is the decider here, and Pacquiao just another one of the many opponents that wants to get a fight against him. In other words, Mayweather is the pay-per-view king, and he’s the one that everyone is waiting for.”
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated echoed Rafael’s skepticism.
Two sources say Pacquiao, Mayweather sides are still slogging through lingering issues. No timetable, just say that no deal completed.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) February 14, 2015
There continues to be cautious optimism that a deal gets done. But we have been down this road before: It isn’t done until it’s done.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) February 14, 2015
In fact, it was almost one month ago to the day that a similar report emerged, stating that Pacquiao had agreed to all of Mayweather’s terms for the fight, and that all that was left to make the fight happen was a Floyd Mayweather, Jr. signature on the dotted line. But more than 30 days later, that signature has yet to materialize.
Again, just two weeks ago, the celebrity news site TMZ published another reports stating that negotiations for the fight were complete and that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2015 was a “go.” But Mayweather personally responded to that report, calling it a “lie” in a post to his social media accounts.
[Images: Harry How/Al Bello/Getty Images]