LAS VEGAS—It was the sound bite heard around the boxing world.
And with the most directly positive answer he’s given in years to the oft-repeated “Manny Pacquiao question,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. suddenly has all eyes focused on his work plans for May.
In the ring with Showtime’s Jim Gray after another challenging—but this time, unanimous—decision over Marcos Maidana on Saturday night, Mayweather steeled his gaze and prepared for the query each and every one of the 16,114 fans and dozens of media members in attendance knew was coming.
But rather than a brush-off or a Larry Merchant-level tirade, “Money” took it head on.
“If the Manny Pacquiao fight presents itself, let’s make it happen,” he said. “He’s got a guy in front of him (Chris Algieri in November). Once he gets past that task, we’ll see what the future holds.”
It was either a 180-degree swerve, or exactly what Mayweather has been promising for months.
Upon announcing the rematch with Maidana at a BET award pre-show earlier this summer, he told a clearly overmatched interviewer that he had a "big surprise” in store when it came to plans for May 2015.
The sport’s cyber-universe all but buckled with traffic contemplating the idea that the reference was indeed to the Pacquiao fight, which has topped fans’ holiday wish lists since Pac-Man’s rise to global prominence with a devastating, retirement-inducing TKO of Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008.
Bob Arum added fuel to the hopeful fire during the Pacquiao-Algieri press tour weeks ago, when he told the San Francisco Chronicle that the premium cable networks involved—HBO for Pacquiao and Showtime for Mayweather—had gotten together recently and made legitimate progress toward getting the fight made.
Mayweather called “not true” on Arum’s claims as recently as the fight-week press conference, but given the length of time since he’s responded to the premise with a flat-out refusal, it finally seems as the the pound-for-pound king is recognizing the impact not taking the fight might have on his legacy.
His pre-fight approach on Saturday reflected a level of seriousness not seen against recent opponents, with him eschewing a star-studded or circus-accompanied ring walk in favor of a straight-on walk with nary a Canadian pop star or a New Orleans-reared rap star within arm’s length.
Maybe, just maybe, it means something special is coming.
“Of course you have hope, because it’s all about giving the fans what they want to see,” Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said. “We would love to fight him. We all know what the obstacles have been in the past. But you forget about all that and try to put it behind you and make it happen.”
Or then again, maybe it doesn’t.
Thanks to the appetite he whetted with the in-ring remarks to Gray, Mayweather was predictably bombarded with Pacquiao-centric questions in the post-fight press conference. Given the chance to follow-up with another reason for hope, however, he took a step back to generic, then combative.
“You guys can keep asking the same question over and over again. You’re going to get the same answer,” he said. “My business model is I’m my own boss. If Manny Pacquiao took the same approach he would be where I’m at. It’s obvious he’s not doing something right.”
Ahhh, now that's the Floyd we know. Pouring water on a self-started fire.
In the immediate afterglow of a victory and looking to make a decibel splash among the fans straining for a good smartphone camera shot, he feeds the masses precisely what they want to hear.
Then, when being grilled about it minutes later by a media horde intentionally nudged by his own hand, he reverts to same old alpha male businessman, unwilling to take a full swing no matter how slow and straight the softball question is lobbed.
It may be cause for optimism or it may be cause for pessimism, depending on your mood.
But what it surely reflects either way is the same control-happy star who refuses to craft his career's final chapter to any outline besides his own.
Which means—as it's long been with these two—the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.
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