Nah man, this stated wayyyy before 09. Try 97. Floyd mayweather was a great fighter. Bob Arum(his promoter at the time and current promoter of top rank) would not give him the money that Floyd felt he deserved. He was in the back stage lights while the Golden Boy got all the money. When it came time to renegotiate Floyd's contract, Floyd turned down a two million dollar contract which he called the slave contract and started promoting himself. This grew animosity towards Bob Arum because he wasn't getting the money he was making off of Floyd. Now, when Floyd fought Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum didnt pay him his full amount. Then he retires. Manny Pacquiao beats Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in a more dominating way than Floyd did which raised many people to beleive that Pacquiao is even greater than Floyd. Floyd says he's coming back to the ring. Bob Arum said in a interview about Floyd coming back, "F￡ck floyd!" And afterwards pretty much saying, "I have the king, Floyd isn't ****". That's pretty much were it started. Than the PED's came up, defamation case filed against Floyd, Manny's side saying that Floyd said in his phone call, "What if I loose" and emails sent to the Mayweather camp saying, "What if our guy tests positive, and if so can we keep it a secret". Just lots of smack talking through the years.
If you end up with the number 1 and 2 best fighters on the planet in the same weight class, both think they are number 1 but don't fight each over to prove it, there is going to be controversy. It really heated up when Floyd accused Manny of PEDs, I think Ring Magazine got it spot on in there p4p ratings when they put both fighters joint second and left the number 1 spot vacant until they fought each over. It didn't help the situation. They kept slagging each over off saying they want to fight but the other person is refusing, and us the boxing fans have no idea who is actually ducking the fight, obviously Floyd fans think Manny was ducking, and Manny fans think Floyd was ducking, what actually happened behind the scenes we still don know and it still remains controversial.
because Manny beat the same people floyd beat, & manny was knocking them out. They were the two biggest names in boxing in basically the same weight area. common sense would tell everyone that the sport is going to want them to fight each other. its like Ali and frazier fighting in the same weight class of course everyone is going to want them to fight (not saying that floyd is on the same level as joe frazier) & floyd knew that even if he beat Manny, Floyd was still going to the hospital and he was going to have some brain damage in the long run and floyd feels its not worth forgeting your kids name when you're older, Floyd said that "im not a coward, im smart" & that he put his health over respect from other people & that if he's a coward atleast he's a rich Healthy coward lol he doesnt want to take damage so everyone started calling floyd names saying he's a coward, and floyd also used to talk about manny in a way that he was jealous of the type of respect manny has that floyd doesnt have. Also most people feel floyd's fights are boring and the manny fight would not be.. boxing fans like excitement
The controversy between Mayweather and Pacquiao started when the MMay weather camp requested for Olympic style blood testing and Manny Pacquiao was insulted and sued for defamation.
The fight became big because Manny Pacquiao was running through his opponents as well as Mayweather but i seriously doubt Mayweather asked for random olympic style blood testing because he's scared of Pacquiao because Pacquiao is vulnerable to counter punchers and Mayweather is one of the best counter punchers in boxing.
Just picture Juan Manuel Marquez with faster hands and feet and having a better reach ,that's Mayweather.
when pac begun making a statement by KOing most of floyds past opponents...e.g. hatton via KO, delahoya by RTD, mosley KD in round 3, and those that floyd ducked in the past like cotto and margarito...
the media begun to corner floyd for the possible fight that opt him to ask pac to "step up the plate"...but when pac did stepped up, he demanded an OSDT, 1st time in the history of pro boxing...evberybody was shocked when he accused pac of using PEDs...of course the fight negotiations failed...
efforts was made to make the megafight happens, pac agreed to floyd's test, but floyd wont stopped making demands...after OSDT. the fight pursed issue followed... he even claimed arum (pac's promoter) was blocking the way (cuz he's trying to go direct to pac)... then from HBO, floyd transfered to showtime, aint that a very big block on the way to the megafight, man he created an abyss between him and pac... an now, he made a new demand... AAAAGAIN.... if pac want to fight him, pac needs to sign to TMT (the money team, his very own mayweather promotion)...
RIDICULOUS!!!!
Everyone knows Mayweather is and always has been the better boxer.
Only silly people think Pacquiao ever stood a chance.
How did this whole potential fight become so big in the media and the public? I know this all started back in 09 but why and how did it become so big when Floyd is still in his prime?
