by Geoffrey Ciani – I have been following the sport of boxing for almost twenty-five years. The first fight I remember seeing was the epic encounter between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns. I was only ten years old at the time, and I remember being absolutely mesmerized by the back and forth action. Before the fight’s conclusion, I had officially become a boxing fan. Of course, I would soon learn that this was an exception rather than the rule. Not all boxing matches would be as exciting and action packed as this instant classic. Even still, I began to grow a deep appreciation for the sweet science.
Throughout the years following, I continued tuning in and my appreciation grew deeper. During the late 80s, the 90s, and the 00s, I watched an awful lot of boxing and witnessed many big fights.. The best thing about a big fight is always the build up and uncertainty surrounding the event. Whether it was the invincible aura of Mike Tyson, the first showdown with Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield, the excitement surrounding the clash between Mexican warriors Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, or any of the other huge events the sport has witnessed in the last twenty-five years, nothing beats the build-up and intrigue surrounding a high profile fight.
This is why it is so disappointing negotiations between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior collapsed. Never in all my years as a fight fan have I seen so many people so enthusiastic about a single match up. The craziest thing is that the hype and intrigue for this fight started shortly after Pacquiao shocked the boxing world when he annihilated Oscar De La Hoya. This was before Mayweather had even announced he was coming back. Even then, fans were stoked by the possibility of a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown. When Mayweather announced he was coming out of retirement, the excitement intensified. When Pacquiao destroyed Ricky Hatton and Floyd dominated Juan Manuel Marquez, the excitement was further amplified, and by the time Pacquiao had impressively bludgeoned Miguel Cotto, interest had reached an all time high.
A showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather seemed all but inevitable.
Yet here we are, less than two months later, and everything fell apart right before our eyes. This is simply inexplicable! It is outrageous that Pacquiao and Mayweather are denying fans what would potentially be the biggest fight in boxing history. Not only would this be the highest grossing, biggest selling fight of all time, but it is a fight of tremendous historical importance. We have two fighters who are universally recognized as the best pound for pound boxers in the world. Both are in their primes and both are fighting in the same weight class. This is a fight that just had to happen, and it has to happen soon. Unfortunately, it will not.
It does not matter who is to blame. I understand both sides of the story. On one hand, by refusing to comply with Mayweather’s request for Olympic style drug testing, Pacquiao creates the perception of guilt. If he has nothing to hide, why not agree to the terms? On the other hand, by making unprecedented demands for vigorous drug testing procedures, Mayweather creates the appearance that he is trying to find a way out of the fight. If Mayweather is so certain of victory, why not trust the regulatory commissions to ensure fair play? Regardless of who is at fault, this whole thing stinks. In fact, it sucks!
The simple truth is that both fighters are to blame. One way or another, this is something that should have been worked out via compromise. That these two parties were unable to reach agreeable terms to bring this fight to fruition is inexcusable. Even more frightening is the fact that these two had already agreed on money! That is the hard part. Rarely in the sport’s history has a fight of this magnitude broken down after the principle parties had already agreed on a purse split. That just makes this all the more baffling and all the more frustrating. It reminds me of the failure of Roy Jones Junior to come to terms with Dariusz Michalczewski, except this is much, much worse. In that instance, very few people had heard of Michalcewski outside of his home region, ergo, this was a fight whose appeal was limited to hard core boxing fans. In the case of Mayweather and Pacquiao, however, the two are both household names. Even those who are only remotely interested in boxing were excited at the prospects of this fight happening.
At the end of the day, this is a huge blow to boxing. Many casual fans who were excited about a mega showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather are fed up. They no longer care for the nonsense, the grandstanding, or the empty posturing. Enough is enough! Boxing fans wanted to see a battle of talent, but instead, we got stuck with a clash of egos. In the end, the people who suffer most are those who help keep the sport alive and well—the fans themselves. Pacquiao, Mayweather, and everyone else involved in these failed negotiations ought to be ashamed. This is absolutely disgusting. Never in all of my years as a fan have I been so utterly disappointed.
If I could say one thing to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, I would simply ask: What the hell are you people doing?
This is sad news for boxing fans and a big blow to the sport we love. It is easy to understand the indifference these two are showing towards the fans, however. After all, boxing is a business. Pacquaio and Mayweather are such big stars that the money means nothing to them. Maybe they will not each make upwards of $35 million for their next fight. So what? They will still make good money no matter what, and they can probably clear that amount over their next two fights. Who cares that the fans are the ones getting screwed? Clearly Mayweather and Pacquiao do not care or they would have found a way to make this work. Instead, the two fighters are heading their separate ways and we are left wondering what could have been.
Thanks a lot Manny and Floyd! Thank you for screwing over all of us fans!
***
If you want to hear more about the failed negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather, be sure to listen to Jenna J and me discuss this topic in the latest episode of On the Ropes by clicking the player below.
***
To contact Ciani:
ciani@boxing247.com
To read more by Ciani please visit The Mushroom Mag:
http://www.eatthemushroom.com/mag