How the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight came about
Credit to Author: EDDIE G. ALINEA| Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2019 16:32:15 +0000
If you’re still wondering why American Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach is back with the camp of Filipino reigning World Boxing Association welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, read on.
A little birdie told me the reason could be that Pacquiao will be needing the trainer in his projected rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., should the latter resort anew to his dilly-dallying tactics employed in protracted negotiations that marked their May 5, 2005 encounter that needed five years to materialize.
Roach, you see, played a major role on why the Mayweather-Pacquiao 1 eventually happened almost five years after it was hatched as early as 2009 following the Filipino’s 12th round stoppage of Miguel Cotto to crown himself the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion.
To cut the long story short, serious negotiations actually started in 2014 following failure to resolve the issue between the two camps and those who interceded to make what is billed as the richest fight in the history of boxing realized by a very unlikely source – a Hollywood waiter/actor named Gabriel Salvador.
And retracing what really transpired, this OUTSIDER found no reason why the story should not be believed.
Salvador happened to forge a friendship with CBS Network President Leslie Moonves when the latter became a regular at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood, where Salvador worked part-time as a waiter.
Salvador and Moonves, according to Wikipedia, were bonded by their mutual love of boxing. According to Wikipedia, CBS is the parent company of Showtime Network, which had invested heavily in boxing and spent millions on a multi-year deal with Mayweather.
Salvador told Moonves that he believed he could make the fight happen if he could get Moonves and Pacquiao’ confidant and trainer Freddie Roach together. Salvador believed he could do so based on his connection to both men and his “unshakeable feeling” that together they could cut through the politicking and power struggles that seem to have stymied prior negotiations.
It turned out Salvador’s son Elijah worked out at Freddie Roach’s gym. Moonves agreed that Salvador should meet Roach to make an introduction with a view to making the fight a reality. Eventually, Salvador asked Roach if he would be willing to meet with Moonves to get the wheels in motion. Roach agreed and asked Salvador to set up a meeting.
Moonves and Roach first met on May 28, 2014, at the Scarpetta restaurant in the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in the presence of Salvador. Both Roach and Moonves agreed the long-awaited bout had to happen and Roach gave Moonves the green light to start making things happen.
Roach, meanwhile, helped Moonves make peace with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum. Moonves then brought the warring elements from both boxers’ camps together and, with Salvador’s help, even arranged meetings at his home.
After the extended negotiations, it was not long after that both camps agreed to fight on the night of May 2, 2015. The consensus is that but for Salvador’s key introduction, the fight would not have happened. Both Moonves and Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum have confirmed Salvador’s pivotal role.
For his role as “finder,” Salvador was entitled to a finder’s fee.
One time, this writer asked Roach on the veracity of this story; He just smiled, nodding his head.
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