Floyd Mayweather either lives in the perfect town for him, or he lives in the worst. He is a train wreck who cannot stay out of his own way and Las Vegas provides a perfect playground for his proclivities.
If he’s not allegedly running someone off the road in Chinatown, he’s spending his time fighting his homeowner’s association in Southern Highlands-with the possibility of firearms becoming involved. Taking care of his twenty-nine car fleet must take up a substantial amount of his attention, but the clock is ticking on his best years while he whittles away outside of the ring.
Manny Pacquiao is competing in a WBO welterweight title fight this weekend against Sugar Shane Mosely on the strip at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. I can’t recall two name fighters facing off in recent history with this much of a favorite in play.
Comedian Norm McDonald has chosen to side with Pacquiao and has put up thousands that the Filipino hero will take care of business. One way for the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is to involve a mediator into the negotiations. Factions like Oscar De La Hoya, Don King, and Bob Arum have all the power in the sport. This can provide some positives in terms of building relationships and providing opportunities, but it can also represent hurdles. Mediation has proved helpful in divorce proceedings, labor negotiations, and even the home foreclosure process. An unbiased mediator could help dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s”.
A rematch agreed upon before the first bout even takes place would prove beneficial for all. It takes some of the pressure off the first contest for both fighters and it could also double the payday for the two. An intriguing negotiating tool could be to have the first fight split the earnings evenly with everything involved-ticket sales, pay per view etc. The winner would then get a sixty percent stake in the second fight as a reward for defeating his opponent in the first.
It is true that Pacquiao has had more recent success and has a more national and passionate following, but Mayweather is forty one and zero. Quality competition is of the utmost importance from the perspective of the fans. This is why some critics think that the NBA players are destroying the league themselves by alleged collusion-only making a handful of teams relevant.
There was some static in past negotiations concerning the timing of drug testing and what substances would be emphasized. The fights should stay in Nevada. Their boxing commission’s terms are what need to be adhered to. It’s not their first rodeo and they have the credibility to remove doubt from a sport that certainly could do without tarnishing its reputation further.
Las Vegas also provides the most flight options and hotel rooms for fans to come in and enjoy the festivities from all over the world. UFC just filled up fifty five thousand seats up in Toronto for Randy Courture’s last fight. It’s time to entice that younger demographic with a top notch boxing card.