Boxing Hall of Fame Oscar De La Hoya still wants Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to face each other in May to finally give boxing fans the long-awaited showdown that they have been longing for.
De La Hoya said that the fight should happen for the good of the sport. And if the presumed super fight happens on May 2, he is also hoping that Pacquiao will win against Mayweather.
"As a fan, I hope the fight takes place. It's very important for the world of boxing that it happens, but nobody knows what's going on," De La Hoya told BoxingScene. "Nobody knows, only the fighters and their teams. For personal reasons, for myself, I would prefer that Manny Pacquiao wins."
However, De La Hoya, who lost to both fighters before, is quite sure that the potential record-breaking fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao will not happen on Cinco de Mayo weekend based on the status of the negotiation for the fight.
The Golden Boy Promotions president reiterated that he cannot see Mayweather taking a gamble against Pacquiao. Instead, De La Hoya sees Mayweather facing either Miguel Cotto on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
"I don't believe Mayweather-Pacquiao will happen May 2nd," De La Hoya said. "Well, I hope it does happen, maybe in September or maybe December but I don't believe it'll happen May 2nd. I don't believe Mayweather's going to fight Amir Khan. What I do believe is that Mayweather will be fighting Miguel Cotto on May 2nd."
Pacquiao, the reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, recently revealed that he has already agreed to all terms for the May 2 fight against Mayweather. The Filipino boxing icon accepted a 60-40 split on fight purse and agreed to undergo random drug testing.
The eight-division champion said that he will wait until the end of the month for Mayweather to decide, but the reigning pound-for-pound king fired back in a recent interview and said that Pacquiao has no right to demand.
"I've been saying this for a long time, Pacquiao has no say because he fights for Top Rank Promotions," Mayweather said via Daily Mail. "He's not in a position to call the shots right now; he's not the A-side. I have Mayweather Promotions, it's my company."
