Manny Pacquiao’s New Years Resolution Is To Fight Floyd Mayweather

The war of words on social media between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. continued today when Pacquiao sent a tweet out to the undefeated champion. As 2014 comes to a close, Pacquiao made it abundantly clear that his New Year’s resolution is to fight the man known as “Money,” in 2015.

“The ball will drop at midnight to usher in 2015. @FloydMayweather let’s not drop the ball on fighting each other next year!” said Pacquiao over Twitter. Closing his tweet with the hashtag, #LetsMakeFistory.

The two fighters are arguably the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of their generation yet they have never stepped into the ring against each other. Both fighters have stated publicly their desire to fight each other as they bout would easily become the richest fight in boxing history.

After defeating Chris Algieri on November 22^nd, Pacquiao told the world he wanted the fight with Mayweather to happen and his camp has said he is willing to take less than 50 percent (an issue that was a roadblock in discussions the last time around). In 2009, both camps came to the table to negotiate a fight, but talks fell apart over drug-testing protocol as Mayweather accused the Filipino fighter of steroid use.

On December 16^th, a day before Pacquiao’s 36^th birthday, Mayweather tweeted: “Don’t be a boxing humbug. Let’s give the fans the fight they want. They have waited long enough.”

In order for a fight to happen, CBS/Showtime, which has Mayweather under contract, has to come to a mutual PPV agreement with HBO, which has Pacquiao under contract. While it might seem difficult for two global entertainment conglomerates to meet in the middle over the most luxurious fight in history, the two sides have come together before in 2002, when heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis got in the ring with Mike Tyson.

Thus far it does not appear the two sides are close to reaching a deal and it appears that Floyd Mayweather is the stumbling block. Mayweather is insisting that the fight be held on May 2^nd, a date that is already reserved for Top Rank/Bob Arum fighter, Canelo Alvarez, and is normally a date in which a Mexican fighter takes the ring because of Cinco de Mayo. Mayweather also insisted that the fight had to be a Showtime pay-per-view fight and scoffed at the idea of a joint broadcast. Mayweather receives a lot of the back end PPV money from his Showtime contract and certainly does not want to split any of that money up with HBO or anyone else. Only time will tell if we are five months away from the fight of the century, but Pacquiao’s New Years Eve tweet is certainly a good stepping-stone.