Aminado si Showtime Sports Executive Vice President Stephen Espinoza na kailangang magpasya kaagad ang alaga ng kanilang kompanya na si WBC at WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. kung lalabanan o hindi si eight-division world titlist Manny Pacquiao dahil huli na kung matutuloy ang megabout sa Mayo 2 sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Si Mayweather ay nasa hanay ng Showtime habang si Pacquiao ay alaga ng HBO at kabilang ang mga isyung ito sa hadlang para matuloy ang sagupaan na halos anim na taon nang hinihintay ng boxing fans.
“There is urgency to get this done and get it going, but we’re not in a panic mode in terms of the calendar right now,” sinabi ni Espinoza sa New York Daily News. “I would say I’m optimistic that it can get done. We have work to do to bridge the gap on important issues, but the most important thing is that Floyd genuinely wants it and wants it badly.”
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Idinagdag ni Espinoza na may mga isyu pang dapat ayusin bago pumayag si Mayweather na lumagda sa kontrata.
“We’re down to the last handful of issues. So the handful of issues is small, but the importance of those issues is pretty big,” giit ni Espinoza. “There are a few open issues on each element of the deal, on both the fighter [and] promoter part of the deal and the network to network part of the deal. Neither one is done yet.”
Para naman sa No 1 boxing promoter ng United Kingdom na si Frank Warren, ayaw talagang labanan ni Mayweather si Pacquiao sa takot na matalo ang Amerikano.
“We are still waiting for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to get it on. Deadlines have passed and so far nothing has happened. I have long doubted it ever will. Lets hope I’m wrong. It is still some distance away from being a done deal, whatever anyone says,” giit ng promoter. “The latest word was that the $200 million welterweight Super Fight finally would be announced during Sunday’s Super Bowl, before a captive TV audience of 100 million. But not a peep.”
“They say this this is an event that was destined to happen but it has turned into a five and a half year soap opera. Yet even though one combatant is 38, the other 36, some say arguably past their peak, it is still potentially the biggest fight out there; indeed of all time,” dagdag ng Hall of Fame promoter. “Personally I believe Mayweather plans to fight in Las Vegas on May 2 regardless of who it is. Whoever he fights he is guaranteed to get at least $35 million dollars under his contractual arrangement with Showtime so what does he care if it is Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan or Joe Schmo?”
“Intriguingly Mayweather has two fights left on that (Showtime) TV deal and the assumption is that he will have the second in the autumn and then call it a day, having equaled Rocky Marciano’s 60 year old record by retiring undefeated as world champion after 49 fights,” diin ni Warren. “This I doubt. His pride is such that the Money Man will want to become the History Man by breaking that record. Maybe it is in his mind that this possible valedictory fight early next year should be against Pacquiao. Who knows with him? He’s a total enigma.”
