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Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao has unleashed a fresh tirade on Twitter after warning Floyd Mayweather Jr that the mega fight is off unless he agrees to it by the end of the month.
“I can easily beat @FloydMayweather, I believe that.” he tweeted on Tuesday in his boldest challenge yet.
Pacquiao has been chiding Mayweather to sign on the dotted line ever since Mayweather proposed the May 2 date in December.
I can easily beat @FloydMayweather, I believe that.
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) January 20, 2015
The eyes of the boxing world have long been on a showdown between the unbeaten Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts) and eight-division world champion Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 knockouts), two of the greatest boxers of their generation.
"We have to know soon because if they will not fight, we can move on and choose another opponent," the Filipino fight king told the Los Angeles Times on a visit to its offices to promote his new documentary film, 'Manny'.
The Filipino fight king is confident of chasing Mayweather into submission and pulling off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
"Everyone had me as a big underdog to @OscarDeLaHoya too. If @FloydMayweather fights me boxing will get an even bigger upset victory." he wrote.
Everyone had me as a big underdog to @OscarDeLaHoya too. If @FloydMayweather fights me boxing will get an even bigger upset victory.
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) January 20, 2015
Pacquiao thinks fans deserve to see him fight Mayweather although he was uncertain whether Mayweather would sign off on a May 2 fight in Las Vegas.
"If you really care about the fans, you will fight. If you care about yourself... you won't fight. #MannySmile" Pacquiao tweeted.
If you really care about the fans, you will fight. If you care about yourself... you won't fight. #MannySmile
— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) January 20, 2015
Mayweather broke his silence on the ongoing negotiations in a radio interview, telling SiriusXM Shade 45, an Eminem-produced radio station:
"We have been going back and forth, communicating with their team," Mayweather said. "We're going to make it happen though. We're trying, but it's been extremely difficult dealing with Top Rank. And I don't want to sit here and point the finger at Pacquiao and say 'it's him.' It's not Pacquiao, it's his promoter. A lot of times when Pacquiao says 'I agreed' - you don't have nothing to do with this, you're not a boss. On a chess board you're a pawn."
Pacquiao says he and promoters Top Rank have agreed to terms that include giving Mayweather a 60 per cent cut of the proceeds in a megafight widely expected to shatter all box-office and television revenue records.
ESPN reported this month that Pacquiao has also agreed on issues such as the gloves to be used and a drug testing protocol.
But Mayweather is not convinced throwing back the ball into Pacquiao's court by saying:
"Hopefully it's Mayweather-Pacquiao (on May 2). Of course we are trying to make the fight happen between me and Pacquiao. Are we negotiating? Absolutely we are negotiating. But Pacquiao said that he agreed to everything. What did you agree to? You have no say so. You have a boss... that's called Top Rank Promotions. It's not called Pacquiao Promotions. With my company, it's called Mayweather Promotions."
The mega fight seems no closer to happening but Mayweather and Pacquiao will be laughing all the way to the bank when it does.
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