Boxing: Pacquiao's son urges showdown

Manny Pacquiao. Photo Reuters.
Manny Pacquiao. Photo Reuters.
Besides the urgings of boxing fans around the world eager for Manny Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather jun, Pacman said yesterday he was feeling pressure closer to home to settle the argument over who is the world's best boxer, pound-for-pound.

"My oldest kid [Emmanuel jun] is 11 years old and he said, 'Daddy, I want you to retire, but before you retire, I have one request. You fight Mayweather, you beat him and then you retire'," the WBO welterweight champion told a news conference.

"I want that fight to happen," Pacquiao said.

The much-discussed mega-fight will have to wait until at least November, as Pacquiao first has a date in the ring with undefeated junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas, and Mayweather is fighting Miguel Cotto there on May 5.

Pacquiao, who has won titles in eight different weight divisions, said satisfying his son's wish was still possible but that time was running out.

"I have maybe two, three more fights," the 33-year-old Pacquiao said about his boxing future. "Hopefully, he will fight before I retire. I'm hoping for a November fight."

Pacquiao said Mayweather made a telephone call to him in the Philippines last month to discuss possible terms.

"I told him, 'let's make the fight happen'."

Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz said he met Mayweather's camp three times after the phone call to try to arrange a deal.

"The final offer that Manny gave was $US50 million [$NZ59.7 million] guaranteed and a split of revenue 45% to 55%," Koncz said.

"Manny said, 'let's make it a prize fight, so the winner gets an extra 10%'."

- Reuters

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