Floyd Mayweather has revealed the real reason it took years to make his fight with Manny Pacquiao.
The two greatest boxers of their era clashed at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena in May 2015.
It was one of the most anticipated matchups in combat sports history, but the fight was a massive letdown as Floyd Mayweather picked up a boring 116–112, 116-12, 118–110 unanimous decision win.
‘The Best Ever’ and Manny Pacquiao were 38 and 36 years old when they finally fought. A large section of boxing fans felt this was the reason their fight was a dud, and insisted that it should’ve been delivered much sooner.
Why was Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao delayed?
Mayweather and Pacquiao were first linked to a fight with each other in 2009.
Unfortunately, they were unable to agree on terms as ‘Money’ refused a 50-50 purse split.
The financial issue was eventually squashed before Mayweather demanded Olympic-style blood screening.
Pacquaio was willing to submit to unlimited urine tests and agreed to blood tests, but insisted they must take place no later than 30 days before the fight.
Their historic clash was hit by another setback when Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012.
There are plenty of reasons why Mayweather vs Pacquiao took so long to come together. Ultimately, the American boxer says it all came down to money as he looked to make the most out of the biggest fight of his career.
“I’m two years older than Pacquiao,” Mayweather told Fight Hub in August 2023.
“So, when I fight Pacquiao, they say, ‘You didn’t fight him at the right time’.
“Last time I checked, if $300 million ain’t the right time, then tell me when it is the right time.
“If I would’ve fought Pacquiao a lot sooner, I wouldn’t have made the money that it made.
“It probably wouldn’t have been half of that. I probably would’ve made $70million.
“You can’t rush life. Everything will happen when it happens. Simple and plain.”
Floyd Mayweather’s $20million Christmas gift
Mayweather cashed out with a $300milion fight against Conor McGregor seven years ago.
Still, he continues to take lucrative exhibition bouts against novice boxers.
It seems to be paying off as he recently dropped $20million on a Christmas gift for his three-year-old grandson.
“Guess what Papa bought you,” he said in a viral Instagram video.
“I got you a gift. Guess what I bought you. You the first kid that own a building in a diamond district in New York City. We bought you a building. Papa bought you a building.”
The pair, sporting matching pajamas, then hugged and high-fived, before the youngster proceeded to give his grandfather a teddy bear wearing a suit.
The property, located on 6th Avenue and 47th Street in Manhattan, comes complete with offices and a huge income-generating billboard.
In a statement, Mayweather said: “I used to shop in the diamond exchange as a young adult.
“I never thought I would end up owning this important property at the entrance of 47th street…
“Through hard work and dedication, anything is possible.”