WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the U.S. speaks to reporters during a media day at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, Nevada September 2, 2014. Mayweather will face Marcos Maidana of Argentina in a rematch at the MGM Grand Gard
Mayweather, who loves to brag about his riches on social media, is named the highest-paid athlete in the world. Even without endorsements, the unbeaten boxer managed to earn as much as $105 million. He is the only athlete, besides Tiger Woods, to hit the $100 million bracket. Mayweather’s revenue from his bouts against Canelo Alvarez amounting to $200 million and Marcos Maidana (with a guaranteed $32 million purse in May) was enough for him to secure the first place on the list. Reuters/Las Vegas Sun

Bob Arum believes there’s just one factor in stopping the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather superfight. It’s not from his side, Top Rank Promotions or its pay-per-view and coverage partner, HBO nor its rival, Showtime. It’s Floyd Mayweather himself, who according to Arum, is simply too scared to fight a powerful and skilled left-handed boxer like the Filipino.

“I promoted the guy for ten years and I know how difficult it was to get him in the ring with any southpaw. When you talk about a southpaw who can move like Manny, that’s not the kind of opponent that Mayweather feels he would do well against,” Arum said via the Telegraph hours before Mayweather took on Maidana in their rematch last Saturday (Sunday in Australia).

“That’s the problem. If Manny agreed to fight right-handed, the fight would be agreed in five minutes.”

The latest attack by Arum on his former ward comes as a no surprise as the pair have been trading barbs every since a controversial split in 2006. Mayweather’s contention, among others, is that he was underpaid during his time under Top Rank and Arum in the partnership that began in 1996.

Mayweather won over Maidana and remained undefeated in his boxing career with 47 wins against no losses. Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO) will be facing an unknown and unheralded fighter in Chris Algieri (20-0-0, 8 KO) of the USA on Nov. 22 in Macau.

In the same article, Arum mentioned that HBO and Showtime has already ironed out the legal impediments to the probable Pacquiao vs. Mayweather bout. He also touched on the subject on which of the two has the higher purse fights stating that the Filipino earns more after taxes than the undefeated American fighter.

“I don’t think Mayweather will ever agree to fight Pacquiao. Particularly while he has a cushy deal with Showtime. He makes money fighting anybody,” Arum admitted.

Previous overtures for the super fight between the no. 1 and no. 2 best pound-for-pound boxers in the planet have failed because of various reasons including drug testing procedures, sharing of pay-per-view (PPV) sales and purse money among many others. However, a potential $100-$150 million salary for a single bout could be hard to ignore for Mayweather who is known for his lavish and extravagant lifestyle.

As Arum confirmed and from multiple media reports, top management from both sides have indeed been discussing the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather superfight with the probable schedule set on May 2015. With Arum’s latest tirade and a so-so PPV performance in his recent fight, pressure is mounting on Mayweather to finally give in to what fans have been demanding for years: let Pacquiao vs. Mayweather happen.

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