Yesterday, professional poker player Phil Ivey tweeted out the above picture of reigning welterweight title holders Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather together in a room somewhere doing...something. What, exactly, we can't say, though Ivey's tweet indicated that Mayweather and Pacquiao were trying to "work their deal out."
As of late, "their deal" has concerned the supposedly impending fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. Y'know, the one we were promised in 2010, but fell apart due to drug testing issues prior to the bout.
However, a renewed push by Pacquiao and Mayweather's camps has resurrected the long-dead championship showdown. Nothing is completely certain yet, but as rumors and reports have flooded in, a clearer and clearer picture of the event has begun to form. It's looks like a May 2nd fight might decide the true welterweight champion of the world.
But there are a lot of parties and a lot of players involved here, so to sort everything out for you, we've decided to compile everything we've heard about the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight so far.
Yesterday, professional poker player Phil Ivey tweeted out the above picture of reigning welterweight title holders Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather together in a room somewhere doing...something. What, exactly, we can't say, though Ivey's tweet indicated that Mayweather and Pacquiao were trying to "work their deal out."
As of late, "their deal" has concerned the supposedly impending fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. Y'know, the one we were promised in 2010, but fell apart due to drug testing issues prior to the bout.
However, a renewed push by Pacquiao and Mayweather's camps has resurrected the long-dead championship showdown. Nothing is completely certain yet, but as rumors and reports have flooded in, a clearer and clearer picture of the event has begun to form. It's looks like a May 2nd fight might decide the true welterweight champion of the world.
But there are a lot of parties and a lot of players involved here, so to sort everything out for you, we've decided to compile everything we've heard about the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight so far.
Manny Pacquiao: "I Want That Fight"
Date: 11/13/2015
Speaking with the press on November 13 during the lead-up to his fight with Chris Algieri, Manny Pacquiao re-ignited the discussion about a potential fight between Floyd Mayweather and himself.
"I do have one specific goal," he said at the time, "and that is to give the boxing fans the fight they have always asked for. I want that fight [with Floyd Mayweather], too."
Yeah, c'mon, give the people what they want, Floyd. Please?
Regardless of how much we all may have wanted the fight to happen, though, Pacquiao's words still seemed to hold little weight. If anything, his talk seemed like a marketing ploy to stir interest for the Chris Algieri fight. But was there actually something to it?
Rumors Surface About HBO and Showtime Broadcasting the Fight From AT&T Stadium
Date: 11/18/2014
Perhaps! Though Pacquiao's boxing promoter Bob Arum had initially expressed doubt about the chances of a fight happening between Pacquaio and Mayweather, he broke the story on November 18 that HBO and Showtime were "already talking" about the possibility of broadcasting the fight together. Arum even said that he was "optimistic" about the chance of the two sides finally reaching an agreement.
But that wasn't even the best part of the news. The most intriguing angle was the potential venue for the long-awaited bout: AT&T Stadium.
Yes, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio, squaring off in Jerry's World. Somewhere, Jerry Jones is like:
After Dominating Chris Algieri, Pacquiao Calls Out Mayweather
Date: 11/22/2014
The scene slowly began to set. And after crushing Chris Algieri during the welterweight bout, Pacquiao once again took the opportunity to soapbox for the still-gestating Mayweather fight.
“The people deserve that fight. The fans deserve that fight,” Pacquiao said after his win. “It's time to make that fight happen. It's been a long time. I want that fight. They're always denying the fight. I think the fight has to happen.”
Okay, we get it! Let's make this happen! What do you say, Floyd?
Mayweather Tells Showtime He Wants to Fight Pacquiao, Rips Bob Arum
Date: 12/12/2014
After staying mum about the rumored fight for a few weeks, Mayweather finally broke his silence, speaking with Showtime's Steve Farhood about the on-going negotiations to schedule the bout.
"I would love to fight Manny Pacquiao," Mayweather said before discussing the controversial "blood and urine" tests that took talks off the rails years ago. Of course, Mayweather is Mayweather. So you know that he wasn't about to speak about Pacquiao without firing off a few rounds.
"He's lost to Marquez, he's lost to Bradley, Pay-Per-View numbers are extremely low, so he's desperate," said Pretty Boy Floyd.
"Floyd Mayweather is not ducking or dodging any opponent," he continued. "Bob Arum is stopping the fight. We've been trying to make this fight happen for years."
"We want to fight, we're ready, let's make it's happen. May 2: Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. Let's do it."
Pacquiao Tells Mayweather to "Sign the Contract," Doesn't Want to "Drop the Ball on Fighting Each Other"
Date: 12/31/2014-1/5/2015
Negotiations seemed slow. Reports about the fight were even slower to emerge. But after a few weeks of back-and-forth chatter and shade, Pacquiao ended 2014 with yet another challenge to Mayweather:
The ball will drop at midnight to usher in 2015. @FloydMayweather let's not drop the ball on fighting each other next year! #LetsMakeFistory
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) December 31, 2014
In the following days, Manny continued to provoke Money Mayweather by posting an Instagram of himself, patiently waiting for Floyd to "sign the contract."
C'mon, Floyd, we're all waiting...
Pacquiao Tells Filipino Newspaper An Announcement Shoud Be Made "Before the End of the Month"
Date: 1/12/2015
Continuing to campaign for the fight, Pacquiao spoke with the Manila Standard, a Filipino newspaper, and claimed that an announcement about the fight would be made "before the end of the month."
"I think it will happen," he said.
Unfortunately, as we all know, January came and went. And, well, we've haven't been given a complete confirmation...yet. What's taking so long, you guys?
Bob Arum Claims Mayweather Responsible for Delaying Fight
Date: 1/13/2015
A day later, promoter Bob Arum, a noted antagonist of Floyd Mayweather in the past, spoke with Yahoo Sports to give an update on the brewing fight negotiations: "I think Manny has been very reasonable and demonstrated that he wants the fight to happen," said Arum. "Now, we're waiting on Floyd. That's not to say that Floyd has been obstinate, that Floyd won't do it, but we're waiting on him."
From the public eye, Arum appeared to be telling the truth. Throughout the media storm, Mayweather has been noticeably reserved about his intentions to make the fight happen. What his hesitation stems from remains to be seen, though.
Floyd Mayweather Shuts Down Fight Talk: "Everything Is Just Rumors"
Date: 1/20/2015
Once Arum got involved with the media, the bout gradually seemed to fall apart. After the hot stove had seemed to reach a boiling point, Floyd Mayweather eased off the burners, shutting down the talk of a done deal while speaking with DJ Whoo Kid on Shade 45.
Mayweather started the interview by immediately clearing the air about the supposedly forthcoming bout: "Hey, Whoo Kid," he said, "as of right now, everything is just rumors."
Later in their discussion, Mayweather called out Pacquiao for speaking too soon throughout the course of their negotiations, saying, "You're not a boss. On the chessboard, you're a pawn."
Pacquiao: The Ball Is In Floyd's Court
Date: 1/16/2015
"It's this close," Pacquiao told Complex News during an in-studio visit with our very own Sean Evans. Continuing to apply the pressure to Mayweather's camp, Pacquiao re-iterated what his team had been reporting: the contract is ready to go; Mayweather just needs to sign it.
Pacquiao also extended his hand to Mayweather, saying, "I always understand him...My job in the ring, it's my job. Nothing personal. Y'know, he's my friend. He's my brother in Christ."
Floyd Mayweather's Strength Coach Disses Bob Arum, Denies May 2 Fight Date
Date: 1/21/2015
Unfortunately, Mayweather's camp wasn't feeling so warm and fuzzy about the whole thing. While speaking with Fight Hype, Mayweather's strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza ripped the media for their irresponsible reporting and Bob Arum for fueling the fire.
"It's not gonna happen. Let's not kid ourselves," said Ariza. "It's deceptive, it's just straight lying what Bob Arum is doing. To me, it's just revolting that the fans have to get their hopes up for something that doesn't exist."
"You look at Oscar de la Hoya, he had to get away from Bob to get the big fights. You look at Miguel Cotto. You look at Floyd Mayweather," he added. "You have to look at the history of [Arum], who's known for not being honest, not being truthful...it's absolutely disgusting. But, you know what? You guys [the media] perpetuate it. Because you write the same vomit that he spews...You're telling us everything but you're showing us nothing."
It was a serious mic drop in the entire ordeal, and Floyd was happy to see his team standing behind him.
Thanks for setting the record straight, Alex Ariza. http://t.co/coE4KzuCxI #TheMoneyTeam
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) January 22, 2015
In closing, Ariza stated, "We're fighting May 2, but it's not going to be Manny Pacquiao. As soon as we get rid of [Arum], we can get it on."
Pacquiao and Mayweather Pictured at Same Miami Heat Game, Hold Private Meeting Together
Date: 1/27/2015
But just a week after Ariza tore the notion of a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to shreds, the rumor mill started back up thanks to an unlikely third party: the Miami Heat.
Attending the Heat's match-up with the Milwaukee Bucks on January 27, Mayweather and Pacquiao were both captured by the American Airlines Arena JumboTron with the caption, "Coming in 2015?"
Stay trolling, Miami.
But, like, actually, please do. Because whether out of genuine desire to get the deal done or tired obligation to appease the public thirst, Mayweather and Pacquiao met after the game and "arranged a meeting" inside Pacquiao's hotel room.
According to Pacquaio's advisor, Michael Koncz: "The major discussion revolved around broadcast issues. Manny and I both told him, 'If those are the only issues, those are simple and we can have those fixed in the morning.' And in fact, I've confirmed that they've been resolved."
Bob Arum Tells "New York Post" Fight Announcement Is Forthcoming
Date: 1/30/2015
As the media began to circle around the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps once more, Bob Arum thrust himself back into the picture by speaking with the New York Post to talk about the potential fight again.
“Everybody is doing the right thing,” Arum told The Post on Friday. “We’re looking to complete the paperwork. Everything is moving in the right direction. Hopefully, the next couple of days it will get done.”
According to the Post, the fight's major hold-up concerned Mayweather and Pacquiao's respective agreements with Showtime and HBO. Arum also credited the Miami meeting held between the two sides as a turning point in the negotiations:
"I think it helped a lot because we were all putting papers together, and there was still a question as to whether Floyd really wanted to do the fight or not,” Arum said. “Based on the meeting with Pacquiao in the hotel suite, Manny and [Pacquiao adviser] Michael Koncz were convinced Floyd absolutely wants to do the fight."
It seemed so close, and yet...
Pacquiao and Mayweather Camps Finally Reach Agreement, According to TMZ; Mayweather Disputes Report
Date: 1/30/2015, 1/31/2015
...so far. Shortly after Arum's interview with the New York Post was published, TMZ reported that Pacquiao and Mayweather had reached an agreement for the fight. It was a done deal. Time to pop the champagne, right?
In the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend. Tweets from ESPN's Dan Rafael and Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix indicated that TMZ's reporting was premature. The very next day, we were given word from Mayweather himself in form of a hashtag: "#FightNotMadeYet."
As we mentioned at the beginning, until yesterday, we'd received no more word about the fight's status and, as of now, we're still hanging in limbo. Will the bout finally make it onto boxing's calendar and into the record books? Or will Money Mayweather and the Pac-Man let us all down once again?
