Sport Industry Group

Talks fail to save 'super-fight'- 7 Jan 2010 00:00:00

A mediator has failed to save the proposed ‘super-fight’ between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao after the latter's promoter Bob Arum stated that talks failed to resolve the fighters' differences.

Pacquiao pulled out of the lucrative contest, which was scheduled for 13th March, after Mayweather demanded random drugs tests ahead of the bout.

A mediator was called in to settle the dispute but after two days the pair failed to resolve their differences.

The 'super-fight' was likely to have been the richest in boxing history. With potential purses of up to £25m per fighter acting as a strong incentive, former judge Daniel Weinstein, who had helped resolve previous spats between the pair, was brought in as a mediator.

The duo had previously agreed all points of the contract apart from the drug testing and were said to be close to a deal after the mediation, but subsequent discussions led Pacquiao's promoters Top Rank to declare the fight was cancelled.

Said Arum: ‘I knew this was going to happen, you had to play it out. I've been saying this for years. He's a psychological coward who doesn't want to fight anybody who has a chance of beating him.’

Mayweather and Pacquiao were both happy to take unlimited urine tests but Pacquiao will submit to blood testing only on specific dates.

Unbeaten Mayweather and five-weight champion Pacquaio - considered to be the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world - were set to meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in the biggest fight since the turn of the century.

Pacquiao, became a five-weight world champion following his WBO welterweight title win over Miguel Cotto in November, while Nevada-based Mayweather returned from a 21-month retirement to beat Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September.