Morgan Campbell: A Writer on Sports and More

I mean, what other conclusion should I draw from this new Foot Locker ad?

It features Manny Pacquiao training hard, highlights Foot Locker’s Week of Greatness promotion, and has fun with the idea that everybody in the world except Floyd Mayweather wants to see him fight Floyd Mayweather.

Did you guys catch Pac’s T-Shirt?

Clearly says “Black Mamba Training Camp.”

I understand some Nike-affiliated basketball player has attempted to usurp the nickname, but if you don’t know that the real Black Mamba is Floyd’s uncle and co-trainer Roger Mayweather, then you don’t know sh*t about boxin’.

Yes, the basketball guy and Pacquiao are both Nike athletes but something bigger has to be at play. Obviously they’re setting up a springtime showdown with a sexy subplot — Uncle Roger takes over from Freddie Roach and teaches Pac the secret to cracking the Mayvinci Code.

Pacquiao divides the Mayweather house then unifies the title. It all makes SO MUCH SENSE. Way more sense than Nike and Foot Locker cross-promoting athletes and merchandise.

There’s no way I could be wrong… right?

Either way, the timing here isn’t a coincidence. Foot Locker’s Week of Greatness lines up nicely with Pacquiao’s Nov. 22 showdown with Chris Algieri, a B-side with a heart-warmingly humble backstory but next to no fan following. Pacquiao has posted some underwhelming pay-per-view stats the last two years, so any extra publicity helps.

And Mayweather?

His PPV numbers are also in decline, and each new detail we learn about his violence against women bring him closer to injuring something he actually values — his marketability.

As I wrote at the Star earlier this week, a shared need to stay relevant will probably force Mayweather and Pacquiao into the ring eventually.

Right now my money’s on Pacquiao.

With The Black Mamba on his side, how can he lose?

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