MONDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: #MayPac Nearing Home Stretch?

MONDAY UPDATE: Hopes were dashed, for those brave (and foolish?) souls who had an inkling, whose hopefullness over-rode their common sense, and my Tweeted warnings that no announcement would come this weekend, when they tuned in to watch the NBA All-Star Game, and watched Floyd Mayweather get interviewed at the half.

This is it, they chortled to themselves, as their wife looked at them disdainfully, and muttered to herself something along the lines of ‘what is this damn fool getting so invested in now?’… Only to be kicked in the family jewels yet again, when Floyd was asked if #MayPac was signed. “That’s not true. I haven’t signed yet and he hasn’t signed yet,” Mayweather said on TNT. “It’s just been speculations and rumors. But I’m hoping we can make the fight happen.” Could it be kicked to later in the summer, asked reporter David Aldridge, who said he has time off then, and would like to be able to check out the Super Fight on his off time. Nope, Floyd said, he’s “MAYweather,” it would have to happen in May.

Still icing those jewels, you optimists? You may need more icing…or at least, more patience. I’m gathering from talking to some bigwigs that issues still need ironing…and that the perception exists that what Pacman has agreed to, in writing,  doesn’t and shouldn’t signify, from the Mayweather side, that we are all thisclose to getting #MayPac confirmation. Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza has Tweeted a public refutation that a contract has been signed by Pacman.

Things we shoudl keep an eye on, if you are still inclined to do so, and have not hopped off the bus of speculation and rumors and social media monitoring…Pacman promoter Bob Arum will be standing in front of press tomorrow (Tuesday), during an open workout for his Chinese standout Zou Shiming. Will Arum weigh in on #MayPac goings on? Or will he adhere to a “gag” policy which the dealmakers are pretty much going by for the last few weeks? If he is in blast mode, and takes aim at his ex fighter Mayweather, you might read into that that the chances for a May meeting between the two superstars are dwindling. Or not…As I have said before, the ball is firmly in the court of Mayweather. He’s the A Plus side guy in this equation. He holds the cards, all the good ones, really, so if he want this thing, he can snap his fingers, and things will fall into place. The nets will fall into line, the final terms will coalesce. And if he doesn’t? YIKES…will there be enough ice for those tattered family jewels of those peeps who have invested so much, maybe too much, into following this saga? (Oh, and what is the proper term, instead ‘family jewels,’  for the ladies who are invested in this ‘Will They or Won’t They, Why Don’t They? deal….They have absorbed punishment as their hopes have been dashed, rebuilt, only to be re-busted.)

What might be the blowback of spurned fight fans who would be disinclined to tune in to Floyd’s May 2 fight against someone not named Pacquiao? I’m hoping I don’t have to engage in more pondering about that situation, and that this week, common ground is found, and this ludicrous saga comes to a close. Because for cripes sake, this ain’t peace in the Middle East. It’s a PRIZE FIGHT, people!

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A Brit paper has a report saying that things are good to go, from the Pacquiao side, and all that remains is for our man Mayweather to check out the contract, nod, and sign. Sounds simple, don’t it? LOL. It’s been five years, and a lifetime worth of haggling to get this far, so to assume that we are just a mere formality away from seeing the fruition, the culmination of this ludicrous ordeal of a waltz, probably is unwise. But my poking around, with a select few who are in the know, but don’t wish to upset the delicate balance at this stage, this Brit account does seem to be on the level. “A source close to the Filipino boxer and congressman revealed to The Sunday Telegraph that Pacquiao completed his contractual agreements on Saturday and that Mayweather is set to sign and will announce the contest which is expected to be worth $250 million (£162 million) in the coming days,” wrote Gareth Davies.

Makes sense, for Floyd, while in NYC, where he arrived Thursday, to tie up the loose ends where his “employer,” the Showtime and CBS crew, are headquartered. After all, it makes sense for all the lawyers who’ll have their fingerprints on all the elements of the deal, which should tally up to somewhere around $300 million worth of commerce, to be on site and able to easily communicate. Then again, conventional wisdom has come and gone and been doused with gasoline and lit aflame a few times since 2009, when this thing first became a no-brainer thing to do. So, until this is done, it can be thisclose…but actually a bridge too far away.

The power, the leverage, it’s all with A-Plus Side Floyd….

“Money,” the move is yours.

How about a Valentines Day smooch to all us who’ve played the waiting game so patiently, how about sending out a pic on Shots of the words “MayPac is on for May 2” on a candy heart?

FRI. AM UPDATE: The quiet the last few days has been deafening, for those of us unable to turn away from the fascinating and foolish “Will they or won’t they?” dance being done by Teams Mayweather and Pacquiao. We read into it, wonder, and that’s what we on the outside looking in are mostly doing, wondering, though we get occasional tidbits tossed to us by those more in the know, wonder if the silence means anything. We hear rumors, maybe based in fact, maybe based on the guesswork of keyboard tappers who like to stir the Twitter pot and build their Follower base…We say to ourselves, wouldn’t it make sense for Floyd Mayweather, in NYC to party and take in the NBA All-Star festivities, to announce #MayPac while in the media capital of the world? He could in one fell swoop make himself available to all meaningful media outlets, from the NY Times on down…Makes sense, don’t it?

I heard on Friday morning from Someone Big Who Would Know that it would make sense, and that it would be a good idea to watch the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, because Floyd has the contractual right to announce #MayPac, if and when the final Ts are crossed…and this of course implies that we will get to that point, and soon. But sometimes soon never comes…And Someone Else Big Who Would Know then told me a bit later that we won’t get an Announcement this weekend. Yes, hopes dashed once again….Hey, it’s Valentines Day time, anyone with any time on this earth understands hopes being dashed, the pain of not getting what you want, in this milieu, right?

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Some of you, I dare say many of you, have tuned out. The saturation of attention to the fifth, and hopefully last, round of negotiations for a proposed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout has turned off a goodly number of boxingheads and heck, even more casual boxing fans. Just put up or shut up, is the message from those tired of the back and forth mud slinging, and obsessive monitoring of all the players on Team Mayweather and Team Pacquiao.

For those not giving a hoot about #MayPac until the two fighters are standing center ring and hear the ding-ding of the commencement of round one of ACTUAL fighting, we salute you. Your disdain is merited…but for anyone still paying attention, know this. One of the smartest deep insiders I know just called me, and told me to, “Bet on it.”

He said that if he were a betting man, he’d lay money down on Floyd Mayweather facing off with Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd. 2015, that is…

Of course, all of us who splash in the pugilistic pond know that until the XXL lady hits the high notes, nothing is a done deal.

So grains of salt are being ingested as I write this and should be as you read this. But…it is looking like we might be near that finish line, and hopefully we can soon transfer our attention from “Will they?” to “What Will Happen When They Do?”

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