DEAL ME IN SAYS DON KING

As the much anticipated fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr continues to stall, veteran promoter Don King is offering a fistful of homespun wisdom.

Attending the World Boxing Council's 49th Anniversary celebration breakfast in the heart of Mexico City, the man who's been dubbed wily and well as wiry- canny as well as cunning, provided plenty of food for thought, which he served up for Top Rank and Floyd.

Although both fighters face the mouth watering prospect of earning up to fifty million dollars each, Don King described this is chump change, and said the potential is even higher. He however insisted: "Money is not the most important factor. This kind of money has never been heard of before....but nobody is taking it.

"Recouping your investment and the bottom line profit is the deal. But the money is secondary. The attraction is the most important element. You must be able to deal with that.

You must be able to promote the people, and this is what they've failed to do. You've got to be able to identify, quantify and relate to the people. You've also got to be able to deal with the people's pride and respect to be able to reach out and touch someone. This is the way it goes!"

Don King also discussed the Floyd factor by suggesting: "I love Floyd and he's my friend and I'm just looking forward to him doing right for himself. He's not getting the right advice by the people surrounding him."

But Don King wasn't keen to delve into the question of percentages purse dividing between the fighters, astutely chuckling: "I don't want to negotiate. I ain't going to do that for free!"

He did stress that there just has to be a certain logical wariness of Manny fighting Timothy Bradley and Floyd fighting Miguel Cotto before they face each other, warning: "The word upset always hovers over the ring. Anything can happen and once it does, it takes away all the excitement you had."

And so the recipe for success, via a winning hand is?

"They need to call me, and I'll show them just how to do it! I'm a people person. I know how to make people do what they don't want to do and like it for the betterment of themselves. I'm a promoter of the people, by the people for the people, and my magic lies in my people ties!"

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