A man that prideful and talented (never mind his unrivaled work ethic) isn't afraid of another man...especially in his own domain.
I have been a HUGE Manny fan for something like ten years, and would undoubtedly root for him if the fight is ever made.....but come on now. Show Money some respect.
Pacquiao has really improved as a technical fighter over the last few years, but when in trouble he still resorts to moving forward and volume of punches. Ask Ricky Hatton how full speed ahead worked out for him. I realize Manny is a much more talented athlete and fighter than Hatton, but there are some similarities that make me question what sort of matchup it would really be.
Anyone who knows boxing knows this: Styles make fights. Comparing shared opponents is almost totally worthless.
The issues surrounding making the fight are complicated and many. The drug testing shenanigans are not at all central to the conflict preventing the fight at this point. Since all that shit, Manny HAS agreed to submit to a IOC style test leading up to the fight. That issue is essentially moot. The issue is money and power...as usual. Money bucked the boxing establishment by promoting his own fights and telling King, Golden Boy, and most importantly, Bob Arum to go fuck themselves. That has made both sides really dig their heels in and neither wants to give. Mayweather (debatably rightly so) sees himself as the draw. His payperview numbers make a good case to support that. He wants to be paid more than Manny and Manny wants a 50/50 split. The truth is that this fight may never happen which fucking sucks, but to claim it won't happen because Mayweather is "scared" is a fucking joke.