PACQUIAO- MAYWEATHER: THE $25,000,000 QUESTION

“I never saw a man who didn’t want to take a $25 million drug test.” - Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao’s refusal to submit himself to Floyd Mayweather, Jr’s demand to undergo an Olympic- style drug test for their supposed mega fight, an unprecedented and unparalleled demand in the sport that eventually led to its demise, further polarized the fans of both fighters.

There are actually varying opinions and schools of thought on the merits and demerits with regards to the said drug- testing protocol that the writer decided to forego discussing them for now (but will delve into the issue in a future article) and instead will focus on the other side of the coin, which in this case, is the money question.

Mayweather’s brass character and arrogance wherein he loves to portray himself to be awash in cold cash (hence, the moniker, Money) and a shrewd businessman at the same time (he was on record saying that he “only fights for the money.”) is anathema to blue- collar Michiganders who are modest, do things without much fanfare and quietly take pride in their accomplishments.

"I'm a businessman, with or without him, I'm gonna make $100 million for two or three fights."

Time and time again, he would proclaim that he is very smart, especially when it comes to money matters, and is filthy rich and not ashamed to flaunt his wealth in public. Or is he really?

Let us just dig deeper into his past and current financial situations. In other words, let us pick his pocket apart literally and figuratively-

Recently, right after the New York press con of his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley, Money May was once again seen showing off, counting and stacking some greens inside the tour bus. The celebrity website TMZ obtained a video of the said incident-

Now who are we to say that those dollar bills are not real money?

Unfortunately for Mayweather, a lot of people were skeptical about the cold cash that he was showing off to the public, since there were allegations in the past that he used to shower the crowds with fake $100 bills in various clubs that he frequented in Vegas, which is just one example of his many shenanigans.

In a recent interview with ESPN's Sports Center, he was needled by the two anchors when he refused and did not acknowledge the questions thrown at him about Manny Pacquiao and the so-called "fake money" that Mayweather had been "raining" on people in Vegas night clubs.

There were also cases filed by various banks in the state of Nevada against Mayweather due to him defaulting on some car loans like the one on his prized Mercedes Maybach. There were also reports that he was remiss on paying his homeowners association dues as well as a laughable $300+ bill from his garbage collector. All these things were nothing compared to the millions that he allegedly owes the IRS, which he claims to have already settled.

Money May’s history of money problems is a strong indictment against the persona that he wants the public to believe of him. It is contrary to the picture he is trying to paint that he is really swimming in a sea of greens.

On the other hand, Manny Pacquiao, the target of Mayweather’s never-ending diatribes, is not in financial straits whatsoever. He invests his money wisely and earns as much money from his commercial endorsements as his purses for the times he spends inside the ring.

While $25 million is really a big amount of money, especially for a person coming from a third world country like the Philippines, we should bear in mind that Pacquiao is now a billionaire in his homeland and can live off his earnings for the rest of his life.

Thus, he can easily afford to walk away from a fight with a person that he deems is not worthy of his time and the money that goes with it. Westerners may have a hard time understanding this, but to most Filipinos like Manny Pacquiao, a person’s good name and principle is far more valuable than a mountain of cold cash.

Author: Bill Shimizu

Source: examiner.com