By Robert Jackson: Despite the so called ‘gag’ order many of the terms of the negotiations seem to be leaking out. These leaks seems to disparage Mayweather’s positions towards making the big fight scheduled for the fall 2010. Top Rank Boss Bob Arum and GBP CEO Richard Schaefer proclaimed a media blackout for the making of this fight citing “we don’t want to negotiate in the media”. A few weeks ago it was announced by some unnamed Team Pacquiao members that Pacquiao had agreed to a 14 day cutoff for blood testing, followed up by a corroboration by the Top Rank boss who said “The ball was now in Mayweather’s court”. No response was given or heard from Team Mayweather who seemed to be honoring the ‘gag’ order..
The next leak that occurred a few weeks or so later said that Mayweather was demanding a 60/40 split, this has since been corroborated by Pacquiao himself who has said he will not allow anything other than a 50/50 split. Mayweather has been mum.
2 weeks ago during a ‘Make-a-Wish’ event Floyd Mayweather Jr. during a media interview session said he may take a couple of years off from boxing. Top Rank Boss Arum, responded by saying that if that is the case he would wait until the official announcement was made, and that Mayweather should make such a announcement if it was his intention not to fight again this year.
Mayweather naysayers IMMEDIATELY jumped on the Mayweather interview as PROOF that Mayweather is afraid of and DOESN’T want to fight Pacquiao. Those SAME naysayers took Floyd’s words one step further and accused him of violating the ‘GAG’ order by saying them.
Just this week Pacquiao has said he won’t budge to any more of Mayweather’s demands, and further pressed his position that Mayweather is afraid to fight him. And again Team Mayweather SILENT.
Many of the SAME critics and naysayers who commended Lil’ Floyd for his dismantling of Shane Mosley – a fighter they SAID Floyd would NEVER fight, are back at it again, back at the HATING!! Many of those SAME critics and naysayers FAIL to see that through ALL of these current negotiations ONLY ONE side has consistently VIOLATED the agreed upon ‘GAG’ order – TEAM PACQUIAO!!
Many of these SAME critics and naysayers donot see that the dynamics of the NEGOTIATIONS have swayed favorably in Lil’ Floyds direction. These same HATERS conveniently like to compare Pacquiao/Cotto PPV numbers to Mayweather/Mosley PPV numbers – dismissing the dismal PPV numbers of Pacquiao/Clottey to MAKE a case in Pacquiao’s favor. Those SAME HATERS will also compare Pacquiao/Cotto PPV numbers to Mayweather/Marquez PPV numbers!! These same HATERS fail to QUESTION Pacquiao’s motives since he NOW has agreed to a 14 day cutoff for current drug testing; if he can do it now, WHY DIDN’T he do it for the PREVIOUS negotiations??
Mayweather has said previous to the ‘GAG’ order that a 14 day cutoff was FOR the LAST NEGOTIATIONS, for these NEGOTIATIONS, random blood testing up to and including the day of the fight would be par for the course. Mayweather also said that if the PPV numbers for Mayweather/Mosley were big enough compared to Pacquiao/Clottey a 50/50 split would not be possible, the PPV numbers WERE 2 – times those of Pacquiao/Clottey and the total revenue dwarfed that of Pacquiao/Clottey!
Jeff Mayweather Uncle of the P4P Picasso, said it clearly recently, that if this fight falls through it will not be his nephews fault, the fault should be placed squarely on Pacquiao’s shoulders. So I ask, “Will it always be Mayweather’s fault??”