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50 Cent in discussions to form promotion company with Manny Pacquiao

His promotional company might be folding and his friendship with superstar fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. might be fading, but it doesn't seem that rap star 50 Cent is about to give up on boxing that easily.

The high-profile artist, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, now appears on the verge of creating a promotional company with Mayweather's chief rival, Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz confirmed he has spoken with Jackson about forming a business together. Koncz said the plan once included Jackson, Pacquiao and Mayweather, though Mayweather's involvement now is questionable at best.

It's far from a done deal, but in the bizarre world that is professional boxing, a Pacquiao-Jackson promotional company is as likely to happen as not.

There is no barrier to entry, and anyone with enough money in the bank and the ability to fill out a few forms can become a promoter. Getting a promoter's license is as much of a guarantee of success, however, as getting a driver's license from the DMV is a guarantee of winning the Daytona 500.

There is a chance that a Pacquiao-Jackson promotional company could wind up putting on some shows, or even a big show. And it wouldn't be out of the question for it to last a couple of years, though the smart money would be heavily against that.

[Also: Jose Aldo, Rampage Jackson pull out of UFC 153 with injuries]

Boxing history, though, would suggest its chances of long-term success are virtually nil.

What is most likely is that Jackson sees the opportunity to promote, or co-promote, a bout involving either Pacquiao or Mayweather (or the two against each other) as a simple way to make a lot of money in a short period of time.

The harsh reality of promoting boxing is that it is extremely hard work and that most cards lose money. The likelihood of Jackson being willing to stage a series of money-losing shows that draw no more than a thousand or so fans and receive little attention in order to give young fighters a chance to develop is extremely remote.

A promoter has to contend with double-dealing managers, disloyal fighters, leeches looking to make money for doing nothing and an often uneven playing field when it comes to getting TV dates. Jackson would have plenty of juice with the HBOs and Showtimes of the world were he able to promote a Pacquiao or a Mayweather fight.

He'd quickly lose that influence, though, when they were no longer fighting.

Jackson is an astute businessman who has made himself extraordinarily wealthy with deals involving vitamin-water drinks, body spray, memorabilia and video games, among other ventures.

Flushing his hard-earned money down the commode, which is what the overwhelming percentage of boxing promoters wind up doing, can't be too appealing.

In July, Jackson received a promoter's license in New York for a company named TMT Promotions. TMT stood for "The Money Team," a nickname that Mayweather has tagged for himself and his associates.

Mayweather, though, was in the Clark County Detention Center at the time of the announcement, serving a short sentence after pleading guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

[Also: Dueling Las Vegas bouts each poised for success]

He has yet to comment on TMT or anything about his relationship with Jackson. However, there have been numerous reports citing a growing rift between the two stars.

Prior to Mayweather's incarceration, he and Jackson were often seen together. Jackson appeared with Mayweather at his court hearings and arrived at the Las Vegas jail to pick up Mayweather on the day he was released.

That relationship appears to be fading, but until Mayweather or Jackson address it publicly, nothing is definite.

Of all the promotional entities formed by celebrities or fighters, only Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions has stood the test of time and had any kind of success.

Golden Boy's success was cemented largely because De La Hoya's overwhelming popularity gained it a series of dates on HBO. Richard Schaefer, a one-time Swiss banker who had been De La Hoya's manager, became Golden Boy's CEO and did extraordinary work to turn the company into a viable business.

There is a long list of fighters whose company names have appeared on banners as co-promoters, but none other than Golden Boy has had any staying power or significance.

That's not likely to change with a Pacquiao-Jackson combination or even a Mayweather-Pacquiao-Jackson combination, however unlikely that is.

It will be fun, though, to watch as the machinations unfold.

The only certainty in all of this is that TMZ is going to have plenty of grist for the mill as this story unfolds.

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