Boxing icon Pacquiao: Floyd Jr needs me more

Floyd Mayweather Jr. just can't escape the shadow of boxing nemesis Manny Pacquiao. Despite his non-involvement in the Filipino boxing star's November 13 title showdown with Antonio Margarito, it's Mayweather who's been repeatedly linked to the world's top pound-for-pound fighter when he visited New York City Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) to hype up his ring return two months from now. With the oft-repeated question of when the highly-anticipated fight with Mayweather will happen, Pacquiao said it’s the brash-talking American who should be asked about it and not him. "I don't need him, he needs me," said Pacquiao, who flew directly to the City that Never Sleeps shortly after the kickoff stage of the three-city promotional tour in Beverly Hills, California the other day. "Compare my achievements in boxing to his achievements," he added. Two botched negotiations bordering on Olympic-style drug testing shut down the possibility of a Pacquiao-Mayweather encounter, a fight many believe could easily go down as the biggest and richest ever in the history of prizefighting. Even after the boxer-congressman from the province of Sarangani already agreeing to undergo drug testing, as what the undefeated Mayweather had been demanding in the initial negotiation for the fight, the camp of Floyd Jr. still refused to sign the contract and hardly said any word about the matter. Worst, the Mayweather group even tried to discredit Top Rank Promotions chairman Bob Arum and HBO executive Ross Greenburg, who acted as intermediary, saying that no negotiations ever took place.

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Although not directly involve in the talks, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach believes discussions were made by both parties. "I know there must have been negotiations going on," said the four-time Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). "Whatever he wanted to do, we were accepting it. Whatever he wanted. Manny said, 'I want to fight. I'll agree to anything.' I thought the fight was a shoo-in." It never was. And so, they have to settle for the second best available option – a fight with the returning Margarito. "Obviously, we wanted Mayweather, but this guy (Margarito) is the second best guy out there," Roach said of the towering 5-foot-11 Mexican, who was once caught of loading illegal substance on his hand wraps prior to a major title fight with Sugar Shane Mosley. "He's a good opponent, but he's very beatable." While Margarito is now the one on the surface, Roach believes a fight with Mayweather will have to be made. "You know, I really truly think boxing needs that fight to happen," Roach said. "All people want to know, 'When's he fighting Mayweather?' Wherever I go, that's what I'm asked. People will get pissed off if that fight didn't happen." – JVP, GMANews.TV