Source : JUN MEDINA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTFLOYD Mayweather Jr. is looking forward to face Manny Pacquiao in a fight tentatively set for May 5 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to his close adviser Leonard Ellerbe.
“Team Mayweather is looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is,” Ellerbe told FightHype.com, obviously referring to a Pacquiao-Mayweather match.
The adviser, who is chief executive officer of Mayweather Promotions, said that Team Mayweather was looking forward to make what could be the biggest match-up in boxing history, one that could earn Pacquiao a minimum of $50 million.
But Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, expressed cynicism over this development because of its timing, just eight days from Pacquiao’s big-money welterweight title fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12.
“These people are all phonies,” Arum said by phone on Thursday night from his home in Las Vegas.
“They are just trying to divert attention from Manny’s big fight, but I doubt if they are truly, truly willing to put [Mayweather] in the ring with Pacquiao this time,” he added.
The promoter maintained that Mayweather would never fight Pacquiao because the African-American fighter was scared of the Filipino boxing icon.
During an exclusive interview with Fight Hype’s Ben Thompson, Ellerbe related that Team Mayweather welcomed the report of Pacquiao agreeing to undergo Olympic-style blood testing.
“It’s great to hear that they are now ready to take the same [US Anti-Doping Agency] random blood and urine tests that Floyd, Shane Mosley, and Victor Ortiz have already taken,” Ellerbe said during the interview, the transcript of which was posted on FightHype.com.
“This is great for the sport of boxing and I commend Manny Pacquiao for stepping up to the plate,” he added.
During a teleconference call on Wednesday, both Pacquiao and Marquez declared that they were in great shape and confident of victory in their upcoming fight, the third in what could be among the greatest trilogies in boxing history.
Pacquiao said that his November 12 match with Marquez would be more exciting than their previous scraps because they both love to fight, plus the fact that they both have improved.
The Filipino boxing icon knocked Marquez down thrice in the opening round of their 2004 fight, but the Mexican defending champion rallied in the next rounds to salvage a controversial draw.
Four years later, Pacquiao won their rematch via a split decision, with the lone knockdown in the third round by the boxing superstar proving to be the deciding factor.
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