Does anyone else find it odd that negotiations for the biggest and most lucrative fight in boxing history were taking place without representatives from either camp actually having just one face-to-face meeting? Well, that's exactly what happened, according to Bob Arum, as he explained in detail the negotiation process that took place between himself and Mayweather's adviser Al Haymon. "We have never talked to anybody on the Mayweather side and all coversations on our part were through Ross Greenburg and he reported on all conversations on the Mayweather side from Al Haymon," explained the Hall of Fame promoter. "I never talked to anybody on the Mayweather side. I never talked to Mayweather. I only talked to Ross Greenburg, who represented to me certain things that he had discussed with Al Haymon on behalf of Mayweather."
Without ever having spoken a word directly to any member of Mayweather Promotions or Golden Boy Promotions, promoter Bob Arum evidently negotiated a deal through HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg. Again, according to Bob Arum, both sides allegedly agreed to all of the terms, but for some unknown reason, Floyd Mayweather was unwilling to accept. The terms of the deal are still a mystery, as Arum was not willing to discuss specific details, however, many assume that it's the same deal that was offered during arbitration back in January, a deal which included a 50/50 split of the purse and a 14-day cutoff for Olympic-style random drug testing. When that initial offer was rejected by Pacquiao earlier this year, Mayweather made it clear that should any future negotiations take place, that same offer would no longer be on the table.
Despite Mayweather's declaration that the initial offer was no longer valid, reports surfaced on Manny Pacquiao's official American website, MPBoxing.com, that he was now willing to accept a 14-day cutoff. "I am willing to help the sport for the future of the sport. I do not want to see anyone cheat or cheat this sport. For that reason I am willing to consider taking blood as close as 14 days prior to the fight, as long as, my opponent does the same, and it is not a lot of blood, just enough to test," Pacquioa was quoted as saying on May 3rd. Just hours after those statements were released, however, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, would refute them, stating, "He never spoke to any reporter and never heard of the guy...he never talked to anybody about boxing and his main concern is campaigning and winning the election on May 10. Mayweather is not even in our minds or in our thoughts." Mysteriously, those original statements were removed and it appeared as though Pacquiao was standing firm on his initial offer of a 24-day cutoff. It was not until roughly two weeks later when Pacquaio would again change his tune, this time agreeing to the offer of a 14-day cutoff that Mayweather had long before already taken off the table. "As long as they're not getting a large amount of blood, I am willing to give out blood as close to two weeks before the fight," Pacquiao would tell the Manilla Bulletin on May 20. That was the last time there was any communication directly from Manny Pacquiao regarding his stance on random blood testing.
Outside of Bob Arum's opening statement, he never really provided more clarity regarding the actual terms that were on the table or exactly who agreed to what? When asked directly whether or not there was a provision for a 14-day cutoff regarding random blood testing, Arum was short with his response, not wanting to reveal any details as he quickly brushed off the question with a generic answer. "I, ah, again, I don't want to go into specifics, but I think that issue was resolved. Not as clear-cut as you may be saying it, but I believe it was resolved. I don't want to go into the details," Arum vaguely commented. Just hours prior to the deadline, however, Floyd's uncle, Jeff Mayweather, came on record stating that Pacquiao had indeed only agreed to the initial offer of a 14-day cutoff.
Perhaps the most interesting revelation regarding these negotiations is that Golden Boy Promotions had absolutely no involvement. "Schaefer's name was never really mentioned by Ross. It was all Al Haymon," stated Arum. "The only feeling I had that Golden Boy might be involved or that Haymon might be talking to Golden Boy is when Oscar said on television or radio that a deal was very close, so I assumed that, at that point, that Haymon had talked to Schaefer and Schaefer had talked to Oscar." It's a fact that underscores exactly what type of relationship exists between Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions, who apparently was never authorized to speak on his behalf regarding negotiations this second time around.
Regardless, the deadline has passed and although Arum never heard a response from Mayweather, you have to wonder if he was truly expecting one in the first place if Pacquiao's terms only included a provision for random blood testing up until 14 days prior to the bout. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe has stood firm on their initial stance at the onset of negotiations, repeatedly stating, "Random is random! The whole purpose of doing something random is for surprise. We're not backing off." As it stands now, it looks like there's still a 14-day gap that needs to be resolved before the two best fighters in the world ever step into the same ring. Considering that Bob Arum has declared his intentions to persue other opponents, it doesn't sound like that gap will close any time soon. The question is, if the two sides can't even get close enough to have a face-to-face meeting, can we ever expect them to see eye-to-eye regarding the blood testing issue which continues to prevent the most anticipated fight in boxing from taking place?
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