Even as Manny Pacquiao prepares for undefeated junior welterweight champion Chris Algieri, the name Floyd Mayweather Jr is never far away.
Pacquiao is to defend his WBO welterweight crown on No. 22 in Macau, the 64th bout of a career that includes titles in eight divisions. None of those has been against the undefeated Mayweather.
Pacquiao on Friday said that a matchup with Mayweather “is the fight fans want in their hearts” and that he is always ready to step into the ring with Mayweather.
The Philippine star and congressman could be closer to such a fight because promoter Bob Arum says the two cable TV networks involved, HBO and Showtime, have reached an agreement to make it happen.
Now it is up to Mayweather to agree, Arum says.
“If that fight happens, fine,” the 35-year-old Pacquiao said. “If not, fine — what I have done in my boxing career already has satisfied me. What I will be disappointed if that does not happen is because that is what the fans want. My concern is the concern of the fans, and the fans want that fight.”
While Arum said positive steps have been taken in the direction of a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, he is leery about Mayweather giving approval. After all, the fight has not happened over a span of about a decade.
“Floyd is scared to lose the zero,” Arum said of Mayweather’s 46-0 record. “Believe me, if he lost the zero, he’d be on the plane [the next day] to make the fight, no question.”
Pacquiao is not thinking about that potentially huge payday, particularly with an opponent such as Algieri ahead of him. Algieri, from Huntington, New York, is hardly the stereotypical pugilist. He holds a master’s degree in clinical nutrition and aspires to attend medical school. He is also a terrific boxer with a 20-0 record and eight knockouts.
That is not in the realm of Pacquiao’s 56 wins, 38 by knockouts, and standing as one of the great fighters of his era. However, it is strong enough to impress Pacman.
“He is undefeated and a world champion,” Pacquiao said, adding with a sly smile, “I love to fight undefeated guys. I want them to experience that first [defeat].”
Algieri won his belt in June by beating powerful Ruslan Provodnikov. That was almost a home bout, held in Brooklyn, about one hour’s drive from Algieri’s Long Island hometown.
This one is in Macau, and he says he cannot wait to show his stuff there, especially against Pacquiao.
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