BoxRec

As negotiations persist, an inevitable hurdle that must be cleared is which network and crew will run the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquaio Superfight the world has been clamoring for. HBO or SHOWTIME?

I have a suggestion for the solution and i'd like hear some other opinions that may open up some factors that i have not considered. My opinion is that this fight should be awarded to SHOWTIME. Floyd deserves this as much as I hate to say it. He's the A fighter in this equation and the pound for pound champion. Manny/Arum should agree to this for the first fight BUT if Manny should win this fight and the rematch clause is executed then Manny gets the A spot and should be able to choose HBO and Lampley, Max and Roy. I think it's fair and it's logical. Manny would earn this through victory, not through a lawyer or fine print.

But I may be naive as I'm sure there are way more moving parts than I am considering. What do you Boxing fans think?

If the fight does happen, it'll be PPV on both HBO and Showtime like Tyson Vs. Lewis.

caldo2025 wrote:As negotiations persist, an inevitable hurdle that must be cleared is which network and crew will run the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquaio Superfight the world has been clamoring for. HBO or SHOWTIME?

I have a suggestion for the solution and i'd like hear some other opinions that may open up some factors that i have not considered. My opinion is that this fight should be awarded to SHOWTIME. Floyd deserves this as much as I hate to say it. He's the A fighter in this equation and the pound for pound champion. Manny/Arum should agree to this for the first fight BUT if Manny should win this fight and the rematch clause is executed then Manny gets the A spot and should be able to choose HBO and Lampley, Max and Roy. I think it's fair and it's logical. Manny would earn this through victory, not through a lawyer or fine print.

But I may be naive as I'm sure there are way more moving parts than I am considering. What do you Boxing fans think?

The negotiation isn't at a standstill because of the networks, it's at a standstill because the funding has not been supplied yet.

chad wrote:If the fight does happen, it'll be PPV on both HBO and Showtime like Tyson Vs. Lewis.

I'm sure someone will be eager to correct me if I'm mistaken, but Tyson-Lewis was televised only by HBO.
That network paid Showtime quite a bit of money to obtain exclusive rights to the fight.
Both ring announcers, Buffer of HBO and Lennon Jr. of Showtime, did introduce the fighters, but that was Showtime's only involvement in the telecast.

Long as they ever made anyone wait, it ought to be on NBC and FREE...

HomicideHenry wrote:Long as they ever made anyone wait, it ought to be on NBC and FREE...

Best response!

HomicideHenry wrote:Long as they ever made anyone wait, it ought to be on NBC and FREE...

As Ray Leonard said in 1982 about a possible fight with Hagler "It'll never happen."

The network would have to put out an astronomical fee to obtain rights to the bout, and sponsors are notoriously iffy when it comes to investing in boxing.
Many consider boxing a "blood sport," and in our politically correct era, sponsors would be reluctant to offend consumers. There's no way they would want to link their product to a sport many are eager to see abolished.