Boxing News: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Will Happen If Pacman Leaves Top Rank

While speculations are abound regarding the possible Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight in 2014, broadcast executive Stephen Espinoza of Showtime network believes that the much-anticipated, in-demand bout will never happen as long as the Filipino boxer is under contract with Top Rank Promotions.

“Floyd is not the issue. Floyd wants the fight. Floyd will fight Manny Pacquiao anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, there is a promotional conflict which are the issue,” said Espinoza in an interview with telegraph.co.uk.

Simply, as long as Pacquiao is fighting under Top Rank Promotions, headed by Bob Arum, the probable mega-fight will never come to fruition.

There’s more than boxing and promotional rivalry between Top Rank-Mayweather and Top Rank-Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather’s promotional arm.

“I have no interest whatsoever to work with Bob Arum,” said Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer of GBP in an interview just this mid-December. “We don’t need Bob Arum. He has nothing left, and you know, we just don’t need to deal with the guy. I have absolutely no interest in that.”

The relationship between Mayweather and Arum also had a sour ending to their relationship. Mayweather fought under Top Rank for a number of years before a bitter break-up.

"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 businesswith Bob Arum again in life,” declared Mayweather also in a December interview.

With no fresh news on the Mayweather-Pacquiao front, it appears that the American will take on either Marcos Maidana from Argentina or Amir Khan, who is considered the front-runner in the Floyd sweepstakes.

“It is still wide open. Floyd has not made a decision yet about who he is going to fight on May 3. Obviously, Marcos Maidana is making a late case and a strong argument for the fight, but Amir is definitely there in the conversation,” added Espinoza.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao may have to settle for Timothy Bradley, Ruslan Provodnikov or Juan Manuel Marquez for his next fight.

With no leverage against Mayweather and his camp—with the Filipino’s measly pay-per-view numbers against Brandon Rios and his embarrassing loss against Marquez still fresh in everyone’s minds- it looks like the best, and maybe only, option for the Pacquiao is to cut ties with Arum and Top Rank as soon as possible and bow down to Mayweather’s demands to set-up the fight in 2015 or beyond.