LAS VEGAS, Nevada: Unbeaten US star Floyd Mayweather Jnr declared himself fit to fight after a rib injury delayed his comeback but says money demands have foiled a possible showdown with Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather dismissed Pacquiao's claim to the world pound-for-pound throne Mayweather vacated by retiring in December of 2007, saying, "It's like a T-Bone steak. After I eat all the meat off the steak, they throw him the bone."

Mayweather, 39-0 with 25 knockouts, will fight Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez, 50-4 with one draw and 37 knockouts, on September 19 after this Saturday's planned date was scrapped over an injury whose origin Mayweather kept secret.

"It didn't come from sparring," Mayweather said on Tuesday. "Freak accidents happen in training. It was just a freak accident.

"I tried to work through it but then it happened again and I'm like, 'I can't be a superhero. Take a little time off.' I healed. Now I'm ready to rock and roll. I can't wait to get back out there."

Mayweather will fight for the first time in 21 months, since a 10th-round stoppage of England's Ricky Hatton, who was flattened in the second round last May by Filipino star Pacquiao.

Interest is great for a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown but Mayweather said the bout is unlikely because Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum seeks a 50-50 split of profits rather than a 60-40 break in Mayweather's favor.

"He wants a 50-50 split. That's never going to happen. If Bob Arum wasn't trying to be so greedy, that fight would happen," Mayweather said. "It still is a business even if it is a sport."

Mayweather's past two fights, with Hatton and Oscar de la Hoya, enticed $3.5 million US pay-per-view purchases, said Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, while Pacquiao "did a little bit more than half of that" against the same foes.

"It's difficult for Floyd to say it should be 50-50 because it really shouldn't be 50-50," Schaefer said. "Both fighters have a certain market value and they should get compensated accordingly."

While Mayweather said he has no grudge against Pacquiao, he neither has any great desire to fight him if the price is not right.

"Pacquiao is a good fighter. I don't take nothing from him," Mayweather said. "He hasn't done nothing I haven't done. Where was he when I was dominating in the '90s? He hasn't called me out. I'm not hard to find.

"I ain't worried about him. With or without him, I'm comfortable. I'm happy. He don't make me (nothing). I don't chase opponents. Opponents chase me. The biggest fight in boxing is Mayweather versus anybody."

Mayweather and Arum had a bitter breakup and Mayweather said Pacquiao loses 27 percent of his paydays.

"Manny Pacquiao has the worst contract in boxing with Bob Arum right now - 27 percent," Mayweather said. "I keep 100 percent of my money. Are you serious - 27 percent? Arum tells Manny Pacquiao the same bull he used to tell me."

Marquez rallied from being sent to the canvas three times in the first round to draw Pacquiao in 2004 and lost a controversial split decision to him in 2008 but Mayweather rates Marquez a better rival than Pacquiao.

"I would have to rate him ovr Manny. For a guy to knock him down three times in the first round and he comes back to get a draw, we know who lost," said Mayweather, who has recently healed strained relations with father Floyd Snr.

Fight co-promoter De la Hoya, who lost to Pacquiao last December, said that Mayweather deserves the pound-for-pound crown, not Pacquaio.

"I'd have to go with Floyd. I felt more skill coming out of Mayweather than I did with Pacquiao," de la Hoya said. "The winner between Mayweather and Marquez is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet."

Marquez dismissed Pacquiao as well, saying, "Mayweather is the best. He retired undefeated. When I fought Manny I thought I beat him both times."

AFP

(China Daily 07/16/2009 page23)