• Welterweight

Mayweather Jr: Pacquiao fight 'will never happen'

ESPN staff
December 20, 2013
Mayweather Jr holds up his belts after defeating Canelo Alvarez © AP
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Floyd Mayweather Jr has hinted the long-awaited encounter against Manny Pacquiao will never go ahead while the Fillipino star remains with promoter Bob Arum, according to FightHype.com.

The fight is predicted to gross around $300 million if it goes ahead - which would be the highest total in history - and has been talked about by boxing fans and pundits for years.

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But it seems that a long-running feud with Arum could be the road block for any potential fight for Mayweather, stemming from the days the promoter used to work with the undefeated American.

Mayweather split with Arum in 2006 amid accusations of underpaying and undermarketing him and has vowed to never work with anyone associated with his fellow countryman.

Mayweather told FightHype.com: "We all know the Pacquiao fight, at this particular time, will never happen, and the reason why the fight won't happen is because I will never do business with Bob Arum again in [my] life, and Pacquiao is Bob Arum's fighter.

"Bob Arum gives Pacquiao a date, whereas Floyd Mayweather gives Floyd Mayweather his own date. I will be fighting again in May and I will be fighting again in September.

"And I want to see Manny Pacquiao's real pay-per-view numbers. Get his pay-per-view numbers from his last fight and compare them to my pay-per-view numbers with Canelo Alvarez. Did he do 1.2 million homes? He has done one million homes."

Pacquiao is understood to want to find a solution to make the fight happen, but it seems unlikely now in the wake of Mayweather Jr's comments.

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