Mayweather says he offered Pacquiao $40 million for fight

There is a lot of talk about how Floyd Mayweather is ducking Manny Pacquiao, but if you ask Mayweather he'll tell you he's done all he could to make it happen in the past few months. Mayweather seems to be over the drug testing flap that initially put the superfight out to pasture. Now it's all about the money.

Mayweather won't give Pacquiao a 50-50 split and told Bob Costas that he offered $40 million to Pacquiao for a May 5th date. Manny balked and now Mayweather will fight Miguel Cotto instead.


"I tried to get it done. I tried to get it done for May 5th," Mayweather told NBC Sports' Bob Costas on "Costas Tonight." 


"It would have been Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, but, I got turned down."


Mayweather explained why he won't give Manny the 50-50 split. The main reason is that he feels Pacquiao's buy rates aren't high enough to garner a split.




"Absolutely not. I'm not giving up the split. I'm not. I can't. I can't afford to," Mayweather said. "I gave this sport my whole life. I have record-breaking numbers that I've done. He has no record-breaking numbers.

"I had done my homework, seen what he was used to making in big fights. I offered him $40 million. I told him I would wire him $20 (million) within 72 hours. I keep 100 percent of the revenue. So why would I even give a guy 50-50? 


"I'm not just the highest paid guy in the sport of boxing. I'm the highest paid athlete."

To Mayweather's credit he's trying to do something, so all the chatter about him ducking Pacquiao should quiet down. I think Mayweather has seen enough of Pacquiao to find some weaknesses to exploit. People tend to forget that Mayweather is a top notch ring general.

If the hold up id over money it would be a shame that it would be the reason why this fight doesn't happen. Is $40 million not enough. Please. You never saw Roberto Duran or Marvin Hagler say that enough wasn't being offered to take a fight.