Many people have wondered why Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao didn’t insist on a rematch clause for their upcoming super fight. Bob Arum spoke with ESNEWS and shed some light on why a rematch was never a part of negotiations.
Bob Arum said, “We were negotiating this fight and the subject of a rematch never came up, I think both sides realize that if we started working a rematch clause out that instead of having a press conference today, we’d still be negotiating.”
The thing about a rematch clause is that the guy that demands it is admitting that there is a chance they might lose. In this case, I like that both camps are going in confident and feeling no need for a rematch clause. Could you imagine the chatter if Floyd or Manny held up negotiations on a rematch clause?
From a promotional standpoint, not having a rematch clause in the contract allows everyone involved to build this fight as the “once in a lifetime” event that it is. I doubt that factored into their reasoning, but it’s another little benefit.
Both sides have been extremely diplomatic with each other, and I think that is all a deliberate attempt to keep the road to a rematch as smooth as possible. Without personal grievances and politics, a rematch will come down to demand and money.
This is a $300m+ fight already. If the fight is close enough to generate demand in a rematch, there will be even more money on the table than the first go around. As both Floyd and Manny’s career wind to a close, that kind of cash will be the only motivation they will need to get back into the ring with each other for another tangle.
You can see the one and only Mayweather-Pacquiao fight (until there is another one) on May 2nd, live from The MGM Grand Garden Arena.
