Manny Says "No!"

[SenorPipino]

Apparently Manny Pacquiao will not climb into the ring at MSG to battle it out with faded veteran Mike Alvarado.

It looks like he won't climb into the ring with anybody.

Pac's team has suddenly reversed course and declared it an "insult" to fight on the undercard of Crawford-Horn on April 14.

It seems they maintain that Pacquiao was robbed against Horn last year in Australia, so it's unseemly for the Filipino legend to be on the undercard while the undeserving Horn earns the main event spot.

At least that's what they argue. Perhaps the true reason is that Arum isn't coughing up enough money to suit Pacquiao. It usually comes down to money.

The good news is that Crawford-Horn will probably now be on regular ESPN, not PPV, since the fight card couldn't attract much interest without Pacquiao.

[gilgamesh]

Sounds like a win-win for all involved...except Arum

[Stuarty]

I've absolutely no interest in seeing Pacquiao v Alvarado anyway!

[SenorPipino]

Undercard or not, Pacquiao would still have easily been the highest paid fighter on the card.

He really needed a "stay busy" bout if he's serious about taking on Crawford or Lomachenko in the fall.

If he waits until September or so for a high profile fight, Pacquiao will have been inactive for more than a year.

He's nearing 40. At that age a year away isn't resting. It's rusting.

[SenorPipino]

Sounds like a win-win for all involved...except Arum

I can think of another loser.

Mike Alvarado.

Past his prime and never anything special to begin with, Alvarado would undoubtedly have earned the biggest payday of his career. Maybe $300,000+.

Now he'll go back to tangling with unthreatening journeymen for a few thousand.

[gilgamesh]

Sounds like a win-win for all involved...except Arum

I can think of another loser.

Mike Alvarado.

Past his prime and never anything special to begin with, Alvarado would undoubtedly have earned the biggest payday of his career. Maybe $300,000+.

Now he'll go back to tangling with unthreatening journeymen for a few thousand.

Yeah that's true.

[Badhusker]

What took him so long to say no? Its been talked about for weeks. Maybe he can fight Thurman?

[SenorPipino]

What took him so long to say no? Its been talked about for weeks. Maybe he can fight Thurman?

It seems that if Pacquiao was really feeling dissed about being in the semi-main, Arum would have known that a while back and negotiations would never have lasted this long.

Apparently with the fight card just 5 weeks off, Arum made a final offer and Pac rejected it.

Now team Pacquiao seemingly prefers to insist that walking away from the fight is a matter of honor, not a financial decision.

How much should a fight versus Alvarado be worth? Did Manny want a customary $20 million + to toy with a slow, washed up Alvarado?

Ridiculous.

[Evander]

Don't blame Pacquiao at all, regardless of his current talent level he is still an enormous name and would fill most arenas and shouldn't play second fiddle on the undercard.

[SenorPipino]

Don't blame Pacquiao at all, regardless of his current talent level he is still an enormous name and would fill most arenas and shouldn't play second fiddle on the undercard.

He probably shouldn't.

But Pac isn't the attraction he once was. He was only supposed to be on the card to help prop up what figured to be a PPV bomb between Horn and Crawford.

With Pacquiao on the undercard, the show might have drawn nearly 400,000. No more.

Realistically I believe Pacquaio cares much more about the size of his purse then he does about appearing as a co-feature.

But without him, the card goes to broadcast ESPN, where it should have been to begin with.

TR needs to showcase Crawford and groom him as a mainstream attraction. Not bury him on a lightly bought PPV.

I wonder if with Pacquiao off, MSG still wants the fight. How have ticket sales gone?

No Pacquiao might mean that the arena will be largely empty.

Maybe they'll postpone the card and move it to Nebraska.