By Robert Jackson: 3 days and counting to Money Mayweather’s release from Las Vegas County Jail…unless he beats up a guard between now and then. Well anyway, upon Mayweather’s release the boxing world will be wondering whom Lil Floyd will fight next, and whether he’ll be fighting again in 2012.
Floyd has said previous to his incarceration that he would fight again in 2012, and with the current circumstances surrounding him, apart from a ‘HUGH money’ fight offer, Mayweather will probably sit out the rest of 2012. Also, promotional processes take time to prime boxing fans for any big PPV card including Mayweather’s participation. Expect Mayweather’s return in early 2013 against the Canelo/Lopez winner OR Sergio Martinez.
Cotto has reserved Madison Square Garden for a December 1st, 2012 return but hasn’t announced his dance partner as of yet. I’m quite sure that Cotto has Mayweather in his sights, but Mayweather’s a fighter who takes nothing for granted, and will not cut corners to prepare for a fight on short notice. Cotto may end up fighting Bradley who’s the #8 P4P fighter and offers Cotto the maximum purse with lesser risk cause of Bradley’s lack of punching power. Bradley would be game for this matchup should his rematch with Pacquiao fall thru.
Manny Pacquiao has not yet decided whom he will fight next for his upcoming November date. Many boxing experts speculate that it will be a Timothy Bradley rematch that Pacman gets back in the ring for. Pacquiao himself seems to be lukewarm towards a Bradley rematch and is presently surveying the landscape for his next opponent. NO other P4P fighters are out there around Pacquiao’s weight class other than Bradley and the aforementioned Mayweather.
In the way of making a Mayweather/Pacquiao fight are several factors, the major factor being purse equity.
Pacquiao can no longer get 50/50 split with Mayweather who’s 1.5M PPV buys for the Cotto fight dwarfed Pacquiao’s 950K PPV buys for the Bradley fight.
It’s unclear where Pacquiao stands in regards to drug testing, his promoter says he has agreed; to what? Mayweather is requesting full compliance up to and including the day of the fight.
The testing authority is also in dispute, Mayweather prefers USADA, Pacquiao defers to his promoters preference.
All of the above factors are MAJOR towards derailing the fight most boxing fans want to see. Because of theses points both men have gone their separate ways and it’s DOUBTFUL that they will ever fight.