“That’s the problem with boxing, people in the sport who aren’t professional, it makes us all look bad,” Jake told Fight Hub. “There are so many egos. People think they are many times bigger or better than they are.”
“It all comes down to things like ring size, what shoes you can wear, what gloves you can use,” Jake said. “It’s like, stop and just fight.”
Jake didn’t set the issue aside. Instead, he pointed to a pattern that has affected big fights across the sport, where smaller details can slow or stop progress, even when both sides are publicly interested.
Talks for a second meeting between Mayweather and Pacquiao have been ongoing for more than a decade after their first fight generated record revenue. The rematch has been booked for September 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, although no final deal has been confirmed as negotiations between both camps continue over key terms and financial rifts.
Jake said the number of decision-makers involved in boxing deals often creates friction, with competing interests pulling negotiations in different directions and delaying progress on major events across the sport.
“There is a lack of professionalism and IQ,” Jake said. “And that’s why these types of deals don’t get done.”
Both fighters have spent years as the A-side in their respective deals, and negotiations have once again centered on points of control rather than closing terms, leaving the fight without a final deal despite continued demand from fans, networks and promoters.
The first “Fight of the Century” took six years of finger pointing over drug testing and purse splitting before it finally happened. While this rematch is expected to stream on Netflix rather than traditional PPV, the behind-the-scenes friction over ring size, glove choice and A-side status remains a recurring theme.
