Mayweather calls Pacquiao out, Arum says silence is golden
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been quiet for weeks as Manny Pacquiao prepared for, then delivered, a stirring performance in his 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto Saturday night in Las Vegas.
On Monday, Mayweather (40-0) released a statement through his publicist expressing concern that pound-for-pound and world welterweight champion Pacquiao hasn’t been more aggressive in pushing for a showdown that could be the most lucrative event in the sport’s history.
The release said Mayweather listened to several comments made by Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and trainer, Freddie Roach, but ‘still has yet to hear Manny Pacquiao himself say he wants to fight him.’
Pacquiao, after the Cotto victory, said he does the fighting and lets Arum select who he’ll fight. He has also expressed doubt Mayweather wants to fight him.
‘Manny Pacquiao is the fighter and every time someone asks him if he wants to fight me, he says it is up to my promoter ... ,’ Mayweather said in the statement. ‘I have yet to hear him actually say, ‘Yes, I want to fight Mayweather.’ We are the fighters and if one fighter is talking about fighting another fighter, then they should just come out and say it. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t say anything directly about fighting me because he might just know it’s not a fight he can win.’
That qualifies as calling Pacquiao out.
Defensive specialist Mayweather criticized Pacquiao for saying ‘Money’ only cares about cash and not producing entertaining fights.
‘Why is he talking about what I won’t do instead of what he wants to do?’ Mayweather asked in the statement. ‘Plain and simple, it’s because he knows he can’t beat me under any circumstances.
‘Less than an hour after his fight, ... the talk turns to me. Their whole promotion was just a Mayweather sweepstakes. ... The world is much more intrigued by the thought of someone fighting me who can beat me. ... Manny Pacquiao’s people have done a good job of creating an image of him to be this unbelievable fighter and now the so-called guy to beat me. But like all the rest, he’s not the one.
‘Tell Manny Pacquiao to be his own man and stop letting everyone, including his loudmouth trainer, talk for him. If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself.’
Pacquiao wasn’t immediately available Monday.
His promoter Bob Arum declined to discuss the beginning of negotiations, and said he’s urging those around his company to keep quiet publicly.
‘The one way this will be upset and not happen if it is negotiated through the newspapers,’ Arum told The Times Monday. ‘All I want to say is that my guy [Pacquiao] has said, ‘We’re here, we’re ready to fight Mayweather.’ ‘
So there you go.
Arum added he was deluged Monday by more interest from suitors looking to host the fight, including officials from the new New York Giants/Jets stadium, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field in New York, the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium, the City of New Orleans, and Las Vegas authorities pitching the construction of a 30,000-seat outdoor facility.
--Lance Pugmire
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