By Ivan G. Goldman
I understand geezers Floyd Mayweather, who will be 38, and Manny Pacquiao, 36, have bravely agreed to forgo the assistance of those senior-citizen battery-powered scooters during their May 2 contest. However, each fighter will have a geriatric specialist in his corner armed with blood-pressure medication that the commission will allow for this fight only.
Also, I have to hand it to Bob Arum, the promoter who negotiated in Pacquiao’s behalf. I’m told Mayweather was insisting on taking 102 percent of the purse money, but Arum bargained him down to 101.5 percent. This way Manny won’t lose too much money by participating in the contest.
You can see Mayweather got the upper hand during the protracted talks simply because everyone agreed to let him announce the fight, which will be fought in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Representing Floyd, of course, was his mysterious advisor/manager Al Haymon, who hasn’t been seen since birth. At least we think he was the guy on the phone doing the negotiating. Like I said, he hasn’t been seen since birth. In fact, his very existence may be a rumor.
Incidentally, about that money. Everyone seems to agree that the actual purse split is 60-40. I don’t know why. I’ve seen no documentation.
Also, USA Today is saying Floyd alone will earn “upwards” of $100 million. That very definitely hasn’t been documented.
We’ve also seen rumors that appear to have been planted by the principals that the pay-per-view price will be $100. I’m guessing it will be $95. That way the suckers will feel it’s a bargain. Fans who give it a pass, if that’s the cost, will be behaving intelligently. Charging that kind of money for TV is clearly a greedy grab, a loony swindle.
One reason the price will be enormous is the agreed participation of both HBO and Showtime. Both mega-corporations have to wet their beaks up to their necks. But these are the two networks that have been killing boxing with their exclusive contracts. It’s these contracts that necessitate such an absurd price for their respective fighters to get in the ring with each other.
In other words, we’re supposed to pay them off so they will agree not to stand in the way of a mega-fight everyone wanted for so many years.
It’s like paying them protection money so they won’t hurt us.
New York Times best-selling author Ivan G. Goldman’s Sick Justice: Inside the American Gulag was released in 2013 by Potomac Books. Watch for The Debtor Class: A Novel from Permanent Press in spring, 2015. More information here.
