Floyd Mayweather Laughs Off Rumors of Pacquiao Fight Deal
Those salivating at the thought of a showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, don't get your hopes up. TMZ sent social media into a frenzy — and fight fans calling their bookies — on Friday when the site reported that a deal had been reached to pit the two champs against each other.
Yahoo! News says insiders representing both fighters laughed off the TMZ report, saying the site jumped the gun on the story, but didn't rule out the possibility.
The most definitive denial came Saturday from Mayweather, via his Shots and Instagram accounts. Using the hashtags "FightNotMadeYet" and "Jamaica" he wrote, "Laying back, relaxing, enjoying good weather, palm trees, and piña coladas. While they continue to lie about making the fight... I'm just going to continue to travel and explore the world on my private jet."
Standing in the way of the fight is the negotiations between Showtime, which has Mayweather under contract, and HBO, which has an exclusive deal with Pacquiao.
According to persons involved in the talks on both sides, the earliest an announcement could come would be late next week. The fight is being targeted for May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
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(Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)