A judge floored Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Wednesday before Manny Pacquiao could get the opportunity to do it in the ring.Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa sentenced the pound-for-pound boxing champion to 90 days in jail following his guilty plea on a 2010 domestic violence charge, further delaying a mega-money bout between the sports two greatest stars.A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout could generate more than $200 million and earn each man in excess of $60 million, but it will have to wait a few more months now after Saragosa unexpectedly let the hammer drop on the boxer known as "Money May."Mayweathers millions couldnt keep him out of jail despite hiring a pair of high-priced Las Vegas lawyers, Richard Wright and Karen Winckler, and agreeing to plead guilty to lesser charges.Saragosa sentenced Mayweather to six months, with 90 days suspended, and ordered him to pay a $2,500 fine, attend a year-long domestic violence class, perform 100 hours of community service and remain out of trouble for a year, largely because the incident occurred in front of his children.The decision once again puts the sports potential biggest fight in decades, which has been talked about since Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto in late 2009, on hold.Saragosas decision also likely made either Juan Manuel Marquez or Timothy Bradley a lot of extra money. Top Ranks Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, was considering Marquez or Bradley as alternatives in case negotiations with Mayweather broke down, as they have so frequently in the past 25 months.Arum refused to comment on any aspect of Mayweathers situation on Wednesday, including his thoughts on how the sentencing would impact Pacquiao. But with Mayweather unavailable, Pacquiao almost certainly will meet either Marquez or Bradley in bouts that would have nowhere near the luster or garner the kind of worldwide attention that a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would.There are many who insist there hasnt been a more anticipated fight in boxing since the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight on March 8, 1971.There have been hundreds of significant bouts since, but there are far fewer stars in boxing now than there were during the 1970s and 1980s, and Mayweather and Pacquiao have become larger than the sport itself.Mayweather had planned to fight on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Though Winckler indicated Mayweather is considering an appeal, if he goes to jail on January 6 as ordered to begin serving his sentence, he likely wouldnt be available to fight until sometime in June at the absolute earliest.
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