adminIT’S the super fight the boxing world wants to see.
But according to one former Mayweather pal, there’s one good reason we’ll never see it.Rapper 50 Cent, an ex-member of the “Money Team” entourage, told Sports Illustrated that Mayweather was “scared to death”.
50 Cent and Mayweather used to be good friends, but have had a public falling out in recent years.
World Boxing Organisation president Francisco Valcarel also expressed his doubts about the fight — slated for May 2 — taking place.
“You have too much stuff all around the board that have to be agreed too; Showtime, HBO, promoters and all kinds of things,” Valcarel told fighthype.com.
“I’ve my doubts that the fight will take place. I don’t even like to mention the fight because I’m not directly dealing with that, but reading the comments from the press, one time they say they’re gonna fight and the next day they say they won’t fight.
“And then another day they say somebody is lying and then they say the fight was already signed. I don’t know what really happened. People want to see Mayweather and Pacquiao and I want to see Mayweather and Pacquiao, but again, like I tell you before, I got my doubts that that fight is going to happen.
“You got too much stuff there to come to terms and agree to and it’s not easy when you’re dealing with two, three, four, five, six and seven parts. Not easy … not easy.”
Late last week, the Associated Press reported HBO and Showtime agreed on how they would broadcast the mega fight, leaving only two remaining issues to be settled before the much anticipated bout could be signed. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said the rival networks had come to terms on an announcing team and other details for the pay-per-view blockbuster, and that talks this week have narrowed the remaining differences between the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps.
“We had four issues and we resolved two,” said Arum.
“Now we’re working on resolving the other two. Unless something else comes up at the last minute, that’s what my take is.”
Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president for Showtime Sports, said: “There are a few significant issues remaining on both the fighter side and the network side of this deal.
“While we are optimistic, it’s a bit premature to say that the networks are in total agreement.”
Arum declined to say what those two issues were, saying he didn’t want to sabotage the negotiations just as they were reaching a critical juncture. And it was not clear whether the Mayweather side views the negotiations the same as Arum, or even if Mayweather will agree to the fight. — NBC
Online Reporter