Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: The Fight of the Century May Be Coming

It’s about time!

Floyd Mayweather Jr., vs. Manny Pacquiao, the fight that boxing fans have yearned to see for more than six years, may finally happen. According to Yahoo Sports, Pacquiao’s camp, Top Rank Boxing, has finally agreed to terms for a May 2 bout against Mayweather Jr., at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

All that remains is for Mayweather, a.k.a. “Money,” to agree to the terms, which include him receiving the business end of a 60/40 split of the proceeds. Mayweather, who will be 38 in May, has a 47-0 career record (with 26 KOs) and is inarguably the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, of the 21st century. The 36-year-old Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), a native of the Philippines, has for years been considered his most viable opponent.

For years, however, these welterweights and their respective have been dancing around a date in the ring. In 2009, when both men were in their primes, a bout seemed imminent. However, a dispute over drug-testing procedures prior to the fight—Mayweather wanted Pacquiao to submit to random, Olympics-style drug tests and Pacquiao refused—led to a break off in negotiations.

Both men have teased devotees of the sweet science numerous times since, a David-and-Maddie flirtation that has never progressed beyond lip service. The 5-foot-8 Mayweather has fought seven times since the start of 2010, defeating all comers. The 5-foot-7 Pacquiao has partaken in nine bouts, losing twice, both at the MGM Grand.

“I want to get some movement here,” Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum, who is 83, told Yahoo, “with bringing Mayweather to the table so we can go out and get everything signed and get the networks together and get the thing finished.”

Neither pugilist is in danger of bouncing a check, but Mayweather can more than afford to play hard to get. Money’s net worth is reportedly more than $290 million. In 2012, Forbes rated him as the world’s highest paid athlete for that year, as he banked $85 million off two fights. The following year his bout against Canelo Alvarez set fiscal records for pay-per-view gross ($150 million), live gate ($20 million) and total revenue (approaching $200 million). And those totals had little to do with the name “Canelo Alvarez.”

This bout would shatter those sums and be the most lucrative bout of all time, with the live gate alone estimated to be double that $20 million figure. Mayweather is contractually tied to Showtime while Pacquiao is linked to HBO (there was a time in boxing when a fighter’s boxing organization affiliation mattered more than his premium-cable network ties, but those days have passed), but both networks appear willing to work together for this event. Leslie Moonves, the CEO of CBS, which owns Showtime, has reportedly been acting as a liaison between the two cable camps.

At stake for Mayweather then is not so much the purse, but rather his legacy. Like former heavyweight Rocky Marciano, he is an all-time great with an unblemished record. Surely Money is aware that Marciano, who retired in 1956 at the age of 32, ended with a 49-0 mark. And that he is two wins shy of equaling that mark.

However, Pacquiao may pose the most serious challenge to Mayweather’s immortality. If he accepts the bout, he risks everything. If he retires without giving Pacquiao a shot, his legacy will be somewhat tainted.

Mayweather, who resides in Las Vegas, is notorious for placing six-figure bets on team sports and posting the results on Instagram. Just last October he bragged that he wagered $720,000 on the Indianapolis Colts and walked away with double that. “When you’re betting on Andrew,” Mayweather wrote, “it’s never Luck.”

The same can be said, thus far, of Mayweather. The question today is whether Money is willing to bet on himself by accepting this fight. If he does, it will be the most anticipated sports event of 2015.