GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — World boxing eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao dared undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to face him in the ring and donate all the proceeds of the fight to charities around world.
“I’m not desperate to fight him just for the sake of money or material things. I’m not the one seeking this fight rather it’s the boxing fans all over the world,” Pacquiao, also Sarangani’s legislator, told the Inquirer by phone Saturday night.
Pacquiao said he was willing to fight Mayweather anytime, anywhere – and even without receiving a single centavo as prize money.
“I am ready to submit myself to any kind of stringent drug testing. Above all, I challenge him to include in our fight contract that both of us will not receive anything out of this fight. We will donate all the proceeds of the fight – guaranteed prize, should there be any, gate receipts, pay-per-view and endorsements – to charities around the world,” Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao added that if Mayweather is not afraid to fight him, the latter should agree to tangle with him in the ring.
Pacquiao said he has nothing more to prove in the world of boxing.
“I have carved my own niche in the annals of boxing. There’s no reason why should I be desperate to fight him? But since the boxing fans worldwide are seeking and demanding for Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, I don’t want to disappoint them,” he said.
During his trip to South Africa last Wednesday, Mayweather suggested Pacquiao’s renewed desire to make their mega fight happen came out of desperation after the latter’s back-to-back losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, and his tax problems.
Pacquiao, however, clarified he has moved on from that losses as proven by his classic ring performance against Brandon “Bambam” Rios in Macau, China last November.
“As to my tax problem, my lawyers are fixing it already. I’m paying my taxes religiously. It is just a matter of reconciling our records with the tax agencies both here and abroad. Should there be any discrepancy, rest assured, I will settle it. I’m a lawmaker and I’m a law-abiding citizen,” Pacquiao said.
As to the reported retirement of Mayweather in 2015, Pacquiao said that is the American boxer’s tactic to avoid facing him in the ring.
“The public clamor for Pacquiao-Mayweather bout is getting stronger. The only way he (Mayweather) can avoid facing me in the ring is to retire from boxing,” Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao challenged Mayweather, saying “Floyd, if you’re a real man, fight me. Let’s do it for the love of boxing and for the fans. Let’s do it not for the sake of money. Let’s make the boxing fans happy.”
Source: http://sports.inquirer.net/140591/pacquiao-to-mayweather-lets-fight-for-charity
