The most highly-anticipated Floyd "Money" Mayweather event of the year begins today, and it isn't a fight against Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao.
According to Bob Velin of USA Today, Mayweather will report to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas to begin serving his 87-day jail sentence. The sentence stems from a domestic battery conviction on Dec. 22, 2011 against Josie Harris, who is the mother of his children.
Mayweather was supposed to begin serving the sentence in January, but it was pushed back due to the economic boost that his May 5 fight against Miguel Cotto would provide. The bout was certainly a spectacle as Mayweather won via unanimous decision in one of the tougher tests of his career. Lasting three months in jail may trump that, however.
Depending on how well Mayweather behaves, there is probably a good chance that he'll be released early. Whatever the case, though, being in jail essentially stalls Mayweather's boxing career. He can train to some degree, but he'll be cooped up and won't be able to go through proper regimens.
While Mayweather is locked up, his rival will be doing battle on June 9. Pacquiao is set to take on the undefeated Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley in a tilt that has garnered plenty of publicity. The younger Bradley is viewed as a good challenge for Pacquiao, but most pundits are still expecting Pac-Man to come out on top.
If Pacquiao does win, then hope is still alive for a mega fight with Mayweather. The issue is that both camps remain extremely far apart in their suspended negotiations. Furthermore, with Mayweather in the slammer, Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum isn't going to wait around to schedule another fight. Mayweather can't really agree to a fight when he's locked up, either, so Pacquiao figures to be booked by the time Mayweather resurfaces.
That will then result in Mayweather and his team seeking another fight, perhaps for some time in November, since that would be six months after his fight with Cotto. Pacquiao, on the other hand, would probably be fighting in December. That means that negotiations may not pick up again until early in 2013.
Even if the two sides finally come to an agreement, which seems unlikely at this point, the absolute earliest I can see Mayweather and Pacquiao having a match is July or August of 2013. That's being generous. Mayweather will be nearing 37 years of age by that point, while Pacquiao will be closing in on 35, so you have to wonder what condition both fighters would be in.
Ultimately, a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao remains a pipe dream, but Mayweather's jail term doesn't help matters in the least. With each passing day and each mounting roadblock, the possibility of a fight between this generation's two best seemingly becomes less and less.
Maybe the two sides will come to their senses and understand how good this bout would be for boxing and their wallets at some point, but it isn't on the horizon. As Mayweather passes time in his jail cell over the next three months, the clock will continue to tick on his career and the prospects of a showdown with Pacquiao.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
No comments:
Post a Comment