It’s On: Mayweather, Pacquaio Camps Begin Talks

The blog Fighthype.com earlier today also reported that Mayweather has told his promoter, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Productions, to begin talks with Pacquiao’s camp.

The posturing for a bigger slice of the purse has already started from Mayweather’s rep Schaefer, who made clear to Pugmire that he thinks his client is a bigger draw than Paqiuoa. HBO Sports President and boxing power broker Ross Greenburg also sides with Schaefer.

“How did Pacquiao-Marquez do versus Mayweather-Marquez? How did Pacquiao-Oscar do versus Floyd-Oscar?” Schaefer asked, well aware of the disparity.
Greenburg made it clear: “Floyd’s calling the shots for this fight to happen.”

After last night’s spectacle though against Cotto, not everyone agrees with Schaefer and Greenburg.
Simon Ruvalcaba of FightHype.com writes today that, “With his win over Cotto, Pacquiao has now proven to be not only the more exciting and entertaining fighter, but also the bigger draw.”

No one disputes that Pacquiao is the more exciting fighter, but the hyper-payday that both will receive is predicated on Mayweather’s participation. Negotiations will be long and arduous, which has me thinking the fight will come off next summer at an outdoor venue, like Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, at the earliest.

Is there a possibility that Mayweather is bluffing? Yhat he has no intention of fighting Pacquiao and will use this negotiation as a ruse? Perhaps. At the very least, Mayweather’s unwillingness to fight Pacquiao in the past points to a negotiation that will be unconventional, with plenty of headfakes along the way.
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This Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will be the fight of the century.