Boxing fans deserve to see Pacquiao-Mayweather, says Manny

MACAU - "He’s going to fight me?”

Manny Pacquiao deflected the question with a joke. He once again said the line from his Footlocker commercial. In the past few years. Pacquiao often tip-toed around the issues between him and Floyd Mayweather simply because he isn’t used to calling out fighters.

“I’m just a boxer,” he would say. “It’s up to my promoter to make the fights.”

These were his popular lines from before so the media expected him to blurt these out once more. However, Pacquiao threw a curve ball.

“For that fight, it’s good that we talk about it. The fans deserve that fight. That’s the good statement. The fans really deserve that fight,” Pacquiao said during the post-fight press conference after his dominant win over Chris Algieri.

“It’s time to say yes so the people can prepare for it early next year.”

“For boxing to still be a major sport, that fight has to happen. We need to stop all the excuses. Everyone needs to work hard to make that fight happen,” said Top Rank Promotions boss Bob Arum.

“You cannot believe the number of times we’ve been asked that question. Enough is enough. Let’s just make the fight happen. Let’s get it done as the next fight for each fighter some time in the early part of next year.”