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Mayweather Jr not dodging Pacquiao



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Floyd Mayweather Jr. finally gave his long-awaited answer to the question regarding the possibility of him facing eight-time world division champion Manny Pacquiao in the near future. "I want the fans to know this and everybody who is watching live, Floyd Mayweather Jr. don't duck or dodge anyone," said the former holder of the pound-for-pound title at a press conference for his September 2011 fight against Victor Ortiz. Mayweather was at the Hudson Theatre in Times Square, New York City, for a press conference to challenge World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight king Victor Ortiz in a 12-round title showdown on September 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather said he is willing to face Pacquiao if this is what the fight fans want. Fans have long been waiting to see both fighters, who are ranked one and two in the pound-for-pound list, face-off inside the ring. Mayweather made the statement amidst the continuous criticism that he is evading Pacquiao, currently boxing’s biggest draw after winning 14 straight matches, in order to keep his unblemished 41-0 (25 knockouts) record. But before Mayweather and Pacquiao slug it out, they need to hurdle past separate opponents. Pacquiao will be facing longtime Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez in a third installment of their epic welterweight rivalry. "This is for the fans, for the Pacquiao fans too. Do I want the Pacquiao fight? Absolutely, absolutely," said Mayweather. He added that the fight needs careful planning in order to avoid a third postponement. "If that is what the fans want, that is what I want to give to the fans. But it takes one step at a time." The expected multi-million dollar match between the current and former holder of the world pound-for-pound crown was twice cancelled due to various reasons. The first planned fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather was called off after both camps failed to agree on the fight purse split. Talks for a second attempt of putting up the highly-anticipated bout also bogged down after Mayweather asked that he and Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing. His camp was accusing the Filipino boxing icon of using steroids when he went up in weight. When Pacquiao finally agreed to the random drug testing, Mayweather went into retirement and faced a number of legal issues that prevented both camps of getting back to the negotiating table. But based on Mayweather’s recent statement the match that would finally settle the issue of who is the world’s greatest boxer of today might finally push through. – JVP/KBK, GMA News
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