Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
A trumpet blared a fanfare to introduce Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto as fans at the Apollo Theater cheered the start of Tuesday’s news conference to promote their May 5 fight in Las Vegas.
Still, there appeared to be far more interest in the fight that’s not happening — a matchup between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Â Mayweather made clear that whether they meet in the ring is about …
the money — breaking down the shares in what could be boxing’s richest fight ever.
“Just by speaking to Pacquiao on the phone, I mean, he’s not one of the sharpest knives in the drawer,” Mayweather said. “He faces Floyd Mayweather, he’s not getting 50-50. Not at all. No one is getting 50-50.”
While Mayweather urged Pacquiao should “take the test,” a reference to his demand for random drug testing, payout appears to be the real sore point between Mayweather on one side, and Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum on the other. Arum has said testing is not an issue.
“Bob Arum likes to match Top Rank fighters with Top Rank fights. He keeps all the money in house,” Mayweather said.
This dispute has spilled into federal court. Pacquiao sued Mayweather for defamation in December 2009, alleging Mayweather falsely accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs. Pacquiao spent 12 hours in Las Vegas last week giving depositions in the case.
“If I offered him $30 million, he should be happy,” Mayweather said. “If I offered him $30 million and I didn’t give money on the back end, why should I? He’s with Arum right now, and they’re having problems. It’s obvious he must not be getting money on the back end.”
Mayweather says he’s not ducking Pacquiao, who stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their November 2009 fight.
“If I’m scared and I’m a coward, why do you guys want to see me fight?” he said. “Do I want the Pacquiao fight? Absolutely. But it’s going to be hard to make the fight because Arum is worried about getting money.”
As boxing news conferences go, this was fairly tame. In the second of a series that began Monday in Puerto Rico and end Thursday in Los Angeles, Mayweather and Cotto praised each other and said they respected each other. Video projections proclaimed them “Ring Kings” and “Living Legends.” They sat in tall chairs of red velvet with lions on the arm rests.
Mayweather was the snazzier, in white jeans, a black turtleneck sweater, sunglasses. There was bling on his left wrist, and the rapper 50 Cent was part of his onstage entourage. Cotto, who got the bigger cheers, was in a black suit, black shirt and striped tie.
Mayweather defended his Feb. 14 tweet, in which he said: “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.”
Mayweather said most of the focus was on the second sentence and the first was largely ignored.
“Do I regret what I said? Absolutely not. I stand by what I said, and I meant what I said,” Mayweather said.
Cotto, who has stopped all three of his opponents since losing a welterweight title fight to Pacquiao, thinks the 154-pound weight limit will favor him over Mayweather, who has boxed at lighter classes.
“Power is going to be on my side,” Cotto said.
The fight, for the WBA super welterweight title, will take place in Las Vegas and will be televised by HBO pay-per-view. HBO plans a four-episode series leading up to the bout, with the first part to air April 14.
Mayweather is to begin a 90-day jail sentence on June 1 stemming from a domestic violence case.
-AP
DAMN… WHAT HAPPENED TO FIGHTING FOR PRIDE… OR BECAUSE YOU KNOW UR BETTER……
SOON I’LL FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS FIGHT AS I DO ABOUT DETOX…..
 @seendadream Go in the ring with Mayweather for 30 seconds, then tell me about pride & all of that CRAP!! These guys put their lives on the line & train harder than any athlete in existence to take a beating! They have EVERY right to ask for maximum dollars! When they die while entertaining us, NO ONE will care & you won’t jump up to take care of their families!Â
Damn Floyd it was all about the money all alOng! All the steroids talk was just a smoke screen.once manny agreed to all the tests, Floyd showed his hand.i guess he thought manny would never agree to steroid tests but once manny did, that roadblock was out the way. Floyd should just fight him 50/50 let the winner of that get 60/40 on the rematch…
 @rnsone ALL CHAMPS get 70-30 splits or better!! Buy yourself a clue!! How many fights have you watched in your lifetime? 3?? The Champ always gets the “lion-share” of the purse! << REALITY!!Â
 @SBMobile
“The Champ always gets the “lion-share” of the purse” –based on your “knowledge” of boxing it should most definitely be a 50/50 split because Floyd is the WBC champ and Manny is the WBO champ<<REALITY!!
@SBMobile Watched a lot and been in a lot! I guess that’s why Ali split it 50/50 with frazier? BTW manny is a champ too.listen I like Floyd but I have to call it like I see it, dude doesn’t want this fight! Go check the recent interview Floyd did with Bob Costas. U might learn something!