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Pacquiao: Mayweather talks, but needs to accept 50-50

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
WBO champion still hopes to salvage super-fight

Manny Pacquiao remains hopeful in his desire to nail down Floyd Mayweather for a multi-million dollar super-fight in 2012 and has explained that his only request is a fair 50/50 split of the money generated.

The 33 year-old eight-weight champion has been involved in a war of words with the WBC welterweight belt holder as both sides blame the other for the failure to secure the prospective ‘fight of a generation’ and Pacquiao is hoping to agree the fight after his next defence against Timothy Bradley.

‘Pacman’ has accused Mayweather of putting out certain statements in the media, only to negotiate the opposite behind closed doors and wants clarification that the American is willing to begin talks on a level playing field.

“He talks, he says all this, but you know what: He doesn’t want the fight,” Pacquiao told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. “I want the fight. I’m the one who has wanted this fight all along.”

Cash has been the sticking point from the start of talks three years ago, with Mayweather adding his own twist this time round by booking the date, before offering Pacquiao the fight and purse with no option for negotiation and the Filipino Congressman told how he is not in the business of dealing in this way.

“He offered me $40 million, and no pay-per-view (money). No pay-per-view. Can you believe that?” questioned Pacquiao.

“Would you do that? Come on. What would he say if I offered him $50 million – not $40 million, $50 million – and said ‘No pay-per-view. Take this money and be happy, but no pay-per-view.’ He wouldn’t do it, either.”

“I told him, ‘OK, 50-50 [with the money] and I’ll agree to everything else. Told him I would agree to all of the other things he was demanding. Everything, even the blood testing he wanted, I would do it. But it had to be 50-50,”he explained.

Mayweather, 34, has now moved on to a fight at 154lbs with WBA champion Miguel Cotto on the date and venue he offered to Pacquiao; May 5th at the MGM Grand. ‘Money’ will then have to serve at least a third of his 90-day prison sentence handed down in Las Vegas earlier this year and could possibly return to the ring in late August or early Septemer to fulfil his plan.

The five-weight world title holder had hoped to fight three times this year, according to co-promoter Oscar De La Hoya but whether the logistics are there for this to become a reality remains doubtful.

The more likely scenario would be Mayweather taking a break following his release from jail and building up to the unification fight with Pacquiao in November as Bob Arum has previously hoped to negotiate for after talks broke down for the second time.

Fight fans are growing increasingly exasperated as the two greats continue with their tit-for-tat campaign and both fighters should now concentrate on their respective contests in May and June before resuming their media war of words.

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