Mayweather “Deadline” Approaches: You Can’t Be Buying This, Can You?

Columns, Top Story

This just in: “Writer, Paul Magno, and Shakira’s representatives come to terms for weekend-long sex romp…Shakira’s approval needed.”

As ridiculous as the above statement sounds, that’s the line of logic that Bob Arum and Team Pacquiao want us to buy when it comes to the alleged negotiations for a November Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-bout.

And now, to make things even more hilariously over the top, Arum has given Mayweather a Friday deadline to sign this alleged contract before Pacquiao turns his attention to other endeavors and other possible opponents.

At this point, though, it needs to be pointed out that nobody outside of Arum and Pacquiao adviser, Michael Koncz, has even acknowledged the existence of any such contract. As a matter of fact, everything we know about the supposed negotiations and subsequent contract has come directly from the mouth of Bob Arum. Golden Boy has said nothing and, as of a few weeks ago, Mayweather adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, denied that there were any negotiations going on at all.

So, what we’re looking at is this: Arum says that negotiations are taking place, but that all details were strictly confidential due to an alleged, self-imposed gag order that, by the way, Arum, Pacquiao and Koncz have regularly broken over the course of the last several weeks. Then, suddenly, a contract is produced for Mayweather to sign and, on this contract, are the conditions allegedly hammered-out in the Arum-Golden Boy-Mayweather negotiations which, again, nobody will even acknowledge. And, now, Mayweather is issued a deadline to sign this supposed contract.

The questions that any smart fight fan should be asking are the following: If negotiations have been completed and a finalized contract produced from said negotiations, why didn’t Golden Boy join Arum in announcing the completed and finalized talks? For that matter, why was Golden Boy put into such a high position when it came to negotiations when they are not Mayweather’s promoter? Golden Boy is a third party hired by Mayweather Promotions to act as a go-between on occasion, but they would not have been negotiating if not contracted to do so by Team Mayweather. So, logically, Golden Boy could not have hammered out any deals or agreed on any conditions without the full knowledge of Mayweather. Why would there even be a need for Mayweather to sign-off on anything? Golden Boy couldn’t have acted on any terms without Mayweather’s ultimate approval.

Sorry, but when being asked to take sides in a “he said vs. he said” debate, I’m not going to automatically believe an admitted liar and confessed briber of officials. The only reasonable way to remove all doubt is if Arum decided to make copies of the alleged contract in question and send them to the media or post a copy of the contract, in full form, on the Top Rank website for all to see. Then, and only then, we can find out what’s really going on here. After all, if both parties are in agreement over the finalized contract, there should be no problem from either side when it comes to sharing the contract with the world. The details will eventually be made public anyway via the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

We all know that the above won’t happen, but it sure would go a long way in terms of establishing credibility on this issue, wouldn’t it?

Forget the garbage propaganda published on other sites and by other writers. Forget any personal dislike you may have for Floyd Mayweather Jr and let’s use some logic here. The story that Arum and Team Pacquiao are trying to sell us just doesn’t make sense. And until the alleged negotiations and contracts are substantiated by a source other than Bob Arum, Top Rank or Team Pacquiao, they should be regarded as nothing more than a pathetically cynical hype job aimed at saving face at the expense of another man’s reputation.