"Manny Pacquiao went out there and done what he had to do, you know? I mean, the only thing I can say is he's a fighter, just like I'm a fighter, and he went out there and, the thing is with Pacquiao, I don't see no versatility in Manny Pacquiao. I see just a fighter, you know, a good puncher, but just one-dimensional," stated undefeated multi-division Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he spoke about Manny Pacquiao's recent win over Miguel Cotto and the possibility of a future clash with Filipino superstar. Less than impressed with the performance, Mayweather has no problem with facing the 7-division champion, however, he's not so sure that Pacquiao truly feels the same way about a future clash.
"When they asked Manny Pacquiao, 'Would you like to fight Floyd Mayweather,' he said, 'Talk to my promoter.' They didn't ask your promoter. They asked you. What you want to do as a fighter? What do you want to do? So last night, Manny Pacquiao was asked the same question three times. 'Do you want to fight Floyd Mayweather?' 'I want to take a vacation with my family.' 'Do you want to fight Floyd Mayweather?' 'I had a tough fight with Miguel Cotto.' 'Do you want to fight Floyd Mayweather?''Talk to my promoter Bob Arum.' So everybody is trying, this is something that everybody, the world is trying to force on him. If he want to fight Floyd Mayweather, all he gotta do is step up to the plate," Mayweather continued in an exclusive interview with Adam Smith of Sky Sports.
While Floyd is correct in his assessment that Pacquiao didn't officially mention his name as a future opponent during the post-fight interview, surely he's aware that prior to his bout with Cotto, Pacquiao made it very clear on several occassions that he was eager for a chance to face Mayweather, even going so far as to say that it was Mayweather who was reluctant to fight. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not Pacquiao actually said, "I want to fight Floyd Mayweather next", the fact that his trainer, Freddie Roach, is calling out Floyd and his promoter, Bob Arum, is open to negotiations is proof enough that all members of Team Pacquiao, including Manny, are extremely interested in the bout.
"I'm in a no-win situation no matter what happens. If I beat Manny Pacquiao, you know what they're going to say? 'You supposed to beat him. You Floyd Mayweather. You the bigger man.' And then if I outbox him, they gonna say, 'It was a boring fight.' But then if I knock him out, they gonna say, 'Well, you supposed to knock him out. He been knocked out before.' Like I said before, like I said before, I'm in a no-win situation no matter what happens and when I beat him, people are not going to be suprised because he's been beat before," he commented as he stood firm on his belief that there's a double standard when it comes to his own fights.
"Whatever I do to Pacquiao has already been done. He's been beat before on three occassions and if I knock him out, I don't want the world to be shocked because he's been knocked out twice before, so it's nothing new. Where the world is going to go wild out is if Floyd Mayweather gets beat. That's what everybody looking to see," he added. That being said, it's clear that the posturing at the negotiating table has already begun as Mayweather is taking the stance that should the two fighters face off, more fans would be tuning in to see him lose than to see Pacquiao win.
On a side note, what's up with the British reporters always getting the first exclusive with Floyd Mayweather? And if it's not the British reporters, then it's some hip-hop website. Come on Floyd...America still loves you too. At least show some of us hard-working boxing websites a little love. Yo Leonard...get at me!
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