Boxing continues to spread good cheer to an already irate fan base. It wasn't bad enough that for a second time Top Rank, Golden Boy, Floyd Mayweather, HBO and Manny Pacquiao couldn't find a way to split up hundreds of millions of dollars, now they're fighting publicly through the media.
Bob Arum claimed last week that he negotiated most of the terms for a superfight with Mayweather manager Al Haymon using HBO sports president Ross Greenburg as the intermediary. Then Mayweather's adviser Leonard Ellerbe called Greenburg and Arum liars.
Greenburg finally responded Monday in an email to the Los Angeles Times:
"Fights like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao are significant because of these fighters' ability to connect with sports fans around the world.
"It's unfortunate that it won't happen in 2010.
"I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2, carefully trying to put the fight together. Hopefully, someday this fight will happen. Sports fans deserve it."
Lance Pugmire from the L.A. Times tracked down Ellerbe for his reaction. He didn't back down from his claims that Greenburg is lying.
"Obviously, the parties making these statements need to understand what the term 'negotiation' really means. Calling to ask Floyd what he's thinking about doing is not a negotiation. How ... can you have a negotiation when the principal has made it clear he's not interested in doing anything at this time."
He also lobbed another bomb at Arum.
"I pay absolutely no attention to what Arum says," Ellerbe said. "He's just bitter because Floyd left him to become his own boss and has gone on to make $125 million since."
Ellerbe wonders why there's been confusion from the get-go.
"This whole thing is getting blown out of proportion," Ellerbe said. "Floyd made it clear what his intentions were, after the fight ... and again in an interview last week. He's on vacation."
So why didn't Ellerbe, Mayweather or Haymon just make that clear weeks ago before the stupid deadline was set and we all followed the countdown?
Be honest, are you starting to lose interest? Frankly, the one truth being told here is that all the parties involved could give a rat's ass about you, the fan.
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