Bert Sugar: “I don’t see it happening. Mayweather might be afraid of losing” -- Examiner

By Chris Robinson, Examiner.com

As each day passes by Floyd Mayweather’s window of opportunity gets smaller and smaller. Top Rank boss Bob Arum let it be known a while ago that the undefeated, Las Vegas-based fighter has until the end of this week to decide whether or not to move forward with a proposed mega fight with Manny Pacquiao. All sticking points have appeared to be agreed upon and all that seems to be left is whether or not Floyd will sign the contract for the bout.

One man who has had some serious disappointment with Mayweather in recent times is old school boxing historian Bert Sugar. This past April Sugar stated his displeasure with Mayweather’s proposed Olympic Style drug testing scenario that he presented during the first round of negotiations for a fight with Pacquiao. Now that Pacquiao has apparently accepted Floyd’s demands the ball is in the Grand Rapids fighter’s court yet Sugar is far from optimistic.

“I don’t see it happening,” Sugar told the Examiner earlier tonight in regards to a pontential Pacquiao-Mayweather clash. “At least not this year. I don’t and never did.”

People seem to be split as to Floyd’s exact motivations behind his reluctance to sign. Some feel as though he is simply biding his time to milk the public’s interest while others genuinely think he is concerned about having to face a fighter of Pacquiao’s caliber. Sugar’s opinion seems to be that the fighter has grown comfortable with his undefeated status and is still soaking in the aftermath of his victory over Shane Mosley this past May.

“I think he’s got enough money,” Sugar said. “He doesn’t want to fight right now. He’s not afraid of Pacquiao. He might be afraid of losing. If you ever talk to him he will tell you in eight seconds or less that he’s the greatest fighter ever because he’s never lost and he has a chance here of losing.”

In agreeing to Mayweather’s demands for Olympic style drug testing, Pacquiao has seemed to call Floyd’s bluff in many ways. When the initial talks between the two sides dissolved earlier this year that was the one hold up that stood out and Sugar thinks that Floyd has pinned himself in a corner for the moment.

“The first time around with the Olympic style blood testing, really that was a cover for money,” Sugar claimed. “He wants the lion’s share of the purse and that’s not going to happen. In fact there are already movements for November 13th for Pacquiao to fight somebody else if they don’t hear from him by the end of this week.”

The two named being mentioned to step in if Floyd doesn’t move forward with the fight are former champion Antonio Margarito and newly crowned WBA Jr. Middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto, whom Pacquiao defeated last November via 12th round TKO at the MGM Grand. Asked if it would be disappointing to see Manny face off with either man in the wake of another fallout with Floyd, Sugar seems to be split.

“Somewhat,” he conceded. “But they still drew numbers, close to 800,000 for the Pay per view for Clottey. And if it is Margarito they will do the same if not more.”

Margarito is still attempting to restore his luster after being suspended from the California State Athletic commission after it was discovered that he had elements of plaster of paris in his hand wraps prior to his January 2009 loss to Shane Mosley. Margarito recently applied for a license in Nevada but the panel voted 4-1 to table his application, leaving his fighting future in the States in question. Sugar feels the decision was just yet doesn’t discredit the danger that the Tijuana fighter brings to the ring.

“It was the right decision,” Sugar said. “California is the state that suspended him and that is where the appeal should be. Anybody who can hit like he can is a challenge. Plus he’s also much bigger.”

Cotto’s TKO loss at the hands of Pacquiao was punishing and left doubts as to whether he would be able to still compete at a world class level thereafter. Early last month, however, Cotto rebounded with a commanding ninth round stoppage over Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium. The win has put the Puerto Rican’s name back in the rumor mill for another fight with Pacquiao yet when asked if he feels that Cotto rejuvenated his career with his latest victory, Sugar isn’t sold.

“Yes and no,” he said. “He beat a one-legged man in a sack race is all I saw. The guy had big matza balls and that was about it."

With the recent turn of events promoter Dan Goosen has stepped to the forefront with the insistence that his fighter, Paul Williams, should be next in line to face Pacquiao if the Mayweather fight falls apart. Sugar can see his reasoning but feels a Williams-Pacquiao clash isn’t on Arum’s agenda in the slightest.

“He’s got to. That’s his man. But I just don’t see it. Bob has a stable and he wants to fight in the stable. If Mayweather is not there, good. They gave him until Friday and he can either come back or go away.”

Brutally honest stuff from Sugar and as this goes to print the clock continues to tick. Friday is just around the corner and then we will all have our answer, whether good or bad.

Source: examiner.com