For years boxing fans have wanted to see pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. face off with Manny Pacquiao, and Top Rank president Bob Arum is fanning the flames for a 2015 clash.
"Both networks want this fight to happen. All signs seem to point to the fight happening early next year," Arum said.
He went on to apply some pressure on Mayweather and his camp to get the fight done sooner rather than later, claiming fan interest in the fight would wane if it doesn't happen quickly.
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"There is a sell-by date, where it becomes 'Who cares?' It has to happen by the first six months of next year. And if it happens, there should be a provision with a different percentage for the rematch. So that the winner is rewarded for winning the fight. I would love to see these guys fight twice next year."
While the news may excite some, the Mayweather-Pacquiao matchup has lost a great deal of its luster, and comments of this ilk have been made many times before. Mayweather is set to face Marcos Maidana for the second time this year on September 13, and while he's a heavy favorite, Maidana gave him his most competitive fight in some time.
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Meanwhile, Pacquiao is slated to face Chris Algieri on November 22 in China; the Mayweather chatter could be an effort on Arum's part to drum up interest in Pacquiao's next fight, since Algieri is an unknown to all but the most hardcore of boxing fans.
In the past, Mayweather has also flatly stated he will never work with Arum. In an interview with Fighthype.com that was posted on December 20, 2013, Mayweather said that the Pacquiao fight will never happen.
"The reason why it will never happen is I will never do business with Bob Arum again," Mayweather said. "Pacquiao is Bob Arum's fighter. Bob Arum gives Pacquiao a date, whereas Floyd Mayweather gives Floyd Mayweather his own date."
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