• Welterweight

Pacquiao-Floyd saga hurting boxing - Wlad's trainer

ESPN staff
April 4, 2012
There is no sign of a Manny Pacquiao v Floyd Mayweather Jnr fight on the horizon © Getty Images
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Legendary trainer Emanuel Steward has slammed Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr for letting their "egos" get in the way of a potential fight.

Negotations between Pacquiao and Mayweather have broken down on several occasions, most recently over how to distribute the purse between them.

And although Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who have helped with the promotion of Mayweather fights, claims that the contest "will happen", fans have grown disillusioned with the saga.

And Steward, who trains Wladimir Klitschko and once looked after Lennox Lewis, feels that state of affairs is damaging boxing's reputation.

"Boxing's not in good shape. It's more of a business now and it's hurting boxing. We need to return to an era when the best fight the best and it wasn't all about money and egos," Steward told BBC Sport. "There's only one major fight the public is interested in - two little fellas, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who most likely will never fight.

"The money is there [for Mayweather-Pacquiao], the two guys would make a minimum of $50 million apiece, and it still can't be made because of egos. Times have changed and it really frustrates me because I remember how easy it was for me to make the fight with Ray [Leonard against Tommy Hearns, who Steward mentored]."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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