Manny Pacquiao Doesn't Need Floyd Mayweather Superfight to Cement His ...
Manny Pacquiao has once again called on Floyd Mayweather to make their long-awaited superfight happen in 2015, but as much as seemingly everyone wants to see this bout go down, -Man doesn't need a matchup with his eternal rival to cement his legacy.
As reported by The Telegraph's Gareth A Davies, Pacquiao reiterated his desire to fight Mayweather in the aftermath of his dominant showing against Chris , beating the previously undefeated American via a clear unanimous decision on Saturday: 'I really want the fight. The fans deserve it. It's time to step up and say 'yes.''
Promoter Bob Arum also chimed in on the matter, and per Davies, he already has a date in mind:
If Mayweather refuses to sign and fight Pacquiao, history will see him as the man who claimed to be king, yet never quite proved it. Thus far, a broken relationship with Bob Arum, who once promoted him, but who has overseen Pacquiao's masterly rise, a combination of his own arrogance and rival television companies in conflict, has halted one of the great fights from proceeding.
However, Arum has been in talks at board level with CBS, and believes that there is Momentum with this blockbuster.
'Enough is enough,' said Arum. 'The time is now, and there must be no more excuses.' Arum told The Telegraph that Mayweather-Pacquiao would be in June 2015 if it goes ahead.
It's the fight every boxing fan wants to see, including me. The two titans have teased us for over a decade now, and a steady stream of challenges, reports and unproductive meetings have done nothing but frustrate fans even more.
Pundits like Bleacher Report's Tom Weir will argue the two need to get in the ring together to decide once and for all who will be viewed as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of this era. He also believes the sport of boxing could use a marquee battle like this:
Among active boxers, they still have the two biggest followings in their sport in the world, and Pacquiao-Mayweather is the only matchup that can bring in mainstream sports fans the way Mike Tyson did.
Boxing desperately needs that infusion of pulse-racing excitement, and both of these guys owe it to the game that has made them mega-rich and globally famous.
Pacquiao and Arum will continue to push for the fight to happen at some point in 2015, as they should. But enough with the legacy talk already.
If Mayweather and Pacquiao are to meet in the ring in 2015, both will be in their late 30s and well past their absolute primes. They're still the top names in the welterweight division and two of the very best fighters the planet has to offer, but this fight wouldn't be the same as the one we could have seen five years ago.
John Locher/Associated Press
Regardless of the outcome, that will be the narrative once the fight is over. This saga has been going on for so long that the two camps have become divided to the point of no return.
Reading his while and -Man were battling it out on Saturday, do you think ESPN's Skip could find any way to judge the superfight fairly, for instance?
You watching this, Floyd? You sweating? You thinking, 'No way I'm going to risk losing to Pacquiao'? Thought so.
- Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 23, 2014
Old age and diminishing skills are the perfect excuse for any fanbase to doubt the result of the potential fight, and after a decade of bickering, that's most likely what would happen.
At the ages of 37 and 35, Mayweather and Pacquiao already have their legacies. The former's brand is built on the fact he's undefeated; the latter fought some of the most exciting bouts of our generation, and he'll be remembered for his passion, relentlessness and fantastic battles with Juan Manuel Marquez.
A win over their biggest rivals would add to those legacies, but at this point in time, it would no longer define either fighter's career. If the two face off in 2015, history will remember the bout as one that should have happened years ago, and questions will remain.
That's not to say this fight shouldn't happen-the fans want it, and the sport needs it. But legacies won't be made or torn down if these two were to finally go head-to-head. It's much too late for that.
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