There's nothing like some good old-fashioned trash-talking to whet our appetite for a big fight. And Floyd Mayweather is doing his part to promote the one bout that every boxing fan wants to see.
Maybe he was feeling flush after claiming he won $400,000 on the Alabama-LSU game Monday night, because he began challenging Manny Pacquiao on Twitter shortly thereafter. Two tweets came within a minute of each other Tuesday afternoon.
The first one was pretty tame: "Manny Pacquiao I'm calling you out let's fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see." But Mayweather spiced up the second one with name-calling: "My Jail Sentence was pushed back because the date was locked in. Step up Punk."
Mayweather was at it again Wednesday afternoon, offering a picture of the prize and appealing to Pacquiao's sense of legacy: "I'm ready to put my belt up. What about you Manny Pacquiao? Let's make history."
Skeptics were plentiful in November when Mayweather's camp announced that it secured a date and a venue for an undetermined opponent, hopefully Pacquiao. Some saw it as a ploy to steal the spotlight, coming one week before Pacquiao fought Juan Manuel Marquez. Others saw it as false bravado from Mayweather, whom they believe has ducked Pacquiao for two years.
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum predicted that the fight will never happen because Mayweather knows he'd be knocked out. Arum called the announcement a "joke" and said that Mayweather's legal problems took precedence anyway.
But Judge Melissa Saragosa ensured that Mayweather's impending 90-day sentence won't be a factor. After considering the mega-fight's economic impact on Las Vegas, she ruled last week that jail can wait until June.
So now Mayweather is selling woof tickets, and boxing fans hope that Pacquiao is buying.
There was a glimmer of hope Wednesday, before Mayweather's third tweet on the subject. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach told TMZ Sports that the camp might respond within 48 hours.
If Mayweather really wants to fight, maybe he should tweet about Pacquiao's mama. Whatever it takes, they need to make it happen.