Manny Pacquiao says he wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. so badly that he’s willing to give him a larger cut of the revenue.
“I’m waiting for that [fight] to happen,” Pacquiao said on ESPN2’s “First Take” on Thursday. “I don’t know what the reason why that fight has not happened. … It’s OK for me if he gets a higher percentage than me.”
Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, said he spoke to Mayweather on the phone in January about a possible deal. Mayweather, a five-division champion, offered to pay him a flat fee of $40 million for a proposed fight, but would not allow him to share in the pay-per-view revenue. In the original negotiation, Mayweather agreed to a 50-50 split.
“I can’t agree with that,” Pacquiao said of not getting any PPV money. “I told him I agree with 55 and 45 (split).”
Mayweather has also demanded random blood and urine testing before the fight. Initially, Pacquiao declined to participate in that, but he has repeatedly said recently that he’s willing to be tested.
“Whatever he wants to do,” Pacquiao said.
This week, a federal judge in Las Vegas ordered Mayweather to pay nearly $114,000 because he continually has refused to appear for a deposition with Pacquiao’s lawyers in a defamation lawsuit. Mayweather has accused Pacquiao of performance-enhancing drug use despite no evidence.
Pacquiao fights Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time on Dec. 8. Mayweather has no bout scheduled. He recently was released from jail after a two-month stint on domestic abuse charges.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are widely considered the top two pound-for-pound boxers in the world.