A news agency in the Philippines reported Friday that Floyd Mayweather Jr. rejected a $50 million offer to fight Manny Pacquiao, quoting a Pacquiao adviser as stating that Mayweather demanded twice the money.
“A country I won’t name offered us $100 million to bring the Mayweather fight there,” Pacquiao colleague Michael Koncz told ABS-CBN News. “We, in turn, offered $50 million to Mayweather as a guarantee. If the pay-per-view comes in higher, Manny and Mayweather would take more.”
The $50 million purse would be the highest payment in Mayweather’s 15-year boxing career. His previous high came in 2007 when he was guaranteed $25 million to fight Oscar De La Hoya. He earned $22.5 million for his 2010 fight against Shane Mosley.
But Koncz said Mayweather refused the offer and demanded a $100 million purse instead.
“It means he don’t wanna fight Manny at this point in his career. Very simple,” Koncz said.
Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, has also stated that talks with the Mayweather camp, through fellow promoter Don King, fell apart when Mayweather demanded $100 million.
The Detroit News reported last week that the IRS recently sent Mayweather a bill for $3.4 million for unpaid taxesdating back to his 2009 fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. He reportedly came out of retirement for the Marquez fight to pay off $6.2 million in back taxes from his 2007 earnings.
Could Mayweather be scared to fight the great Pacquiao? Check out the stats we have posted up for both of the fighters here.
Dennis Taylor is editor/publisher of www.ringsideboxingshow.com and co-host of The Ringside Boxing Show.
