It’s the fight we’ve all been waiting for patiently since 2009 — Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Manny Pacquiao. In fact, it’s the boxing matchup of the century that even has its own category here at LBS. And the good news is Mayweather’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy, believes the mega-fight will go down eventually.
Speaking to Reuters on a conference call, De La Hoya said “I believe that fight will take place. I believe Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao understand that it has to take place. They are the best fighters out there and I feel they both really want this fight to happen. When the time comes, people will enjoy a tremendous fight because styles make fights.”
De La Hoya predictably said he thinks Mayweather would win the fight (as if he’s really going to say he thinks Bob Arum’s fighter will). The two areas where I question Oscar is when he says both fighters understand the fight has to happen, and when he says he thinks both boxers want the fight to happen.
With some of Floyd’s recent displays including mocking Pacquiao on Facebook, I really don’t think he believes the fight has to happen, and I don’t think he wants it to. Though it appeared as if the sides were in heavy negotiation before conflicts over drug testing came in the way (for which I blame Manny), it does not seem like Floyd has any real interest in the fight. If he wanted it to happen, they would be discussing it instead of a Pacquiao-Mosley no-contest.
I just hope for fight fans’ sake that Oscar is right. The good news is if Oscar is talking about it with optimism. Maybe he knows something we don’t.
