WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the U.S. talks about his hand during a post fight news conference after beating Marcos Maidana of Argentina at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada September 13, 2014. Mayweather said he los
WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the U.S. talks about his hand during a post fight news conference after beating Marcos Maidana of Argentina at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada September 13, 2014. Mayweather said he lost feeling in his fingers after the eighth round. REUTERS/Mark Hundley

Former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis keeps his hopes up that the much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao can take place. Lewis said that the network rift involving Mayweather and Pacquiao was pretty much that same thing that he went through when fans were deprived from witnessing a showdown between him and Mike Tyson. However, the rival TV networks managed to resolve their differences and staged one of the highest-grossing fight in the history of boxing.

"If we could make Lewis-Tyson happen with HBO and Showtime, they can get it together for Mayweather-Pacquiao and make history again," Lewis said via Boxing Scene. "People say Lewis-Tyson was years too late, I agree but it didn't stop it from being highest-grossing fight in history at that time."

According to Lewis, the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is one of the fights that he is looking forward to see in 2015. He added that the rival networks should stop the "madness" and just make the fight happen.

Speaking through his Twitter account in April 2014, Lewis has also called for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to happen. After Mayweather scored his 46th victory against Marcos Maidana in May 2014, Lewis has also stated via Twitter that the fights he wants to see is the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

If HBO and Showtime can get together for #LewisTysonIsOn and make the biggest fight in history at that time, MayPac can also happen.

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) April 13, 2014

MayPac should happen on Showtime. Pac isn't exclusive to HBO so why not? Don't see networks as an issue here.

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) April 13, 2014

MayPac is still the biggest fight that can be made in all of boxing today. #EndOfStory

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) April 13, 2014

Honestly the only fight I want to see for Mayweather is Pacquiao! #TheGrandFinale

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) May 4, 2014

I would love to see #MayweatherKhan or #MayweatherPacquiao in May.

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) December 14, 2014

Best case scenario: #MayweatherKhan in May and if FM wins then #MayweatherPacquiao in September as #GrandFinale

— Lennox Lewis (@LennoxLewis) December 14, 2014

In June 2002, Lewis scored an eighth-round knockout over Tyson, successfully defending his World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, and International Boxing Organization world title. Back then, Lewis had an exclusive contract with HBO. Tyson, on the other hand, was affiliated with Showtime. Both TV networks eventually resolved their contractual obligations, which paves the way for one of the richest fights in history that generated $106.9 million.

The talks about the super fight between the undefeated American boxer and Filipino eight-division world champion still continues. Pacquiao's advisor Michael Koncz said that they are giving Mayweather, who intends to return to the ring on May 2, until the end of the month to decide whether or not to fight Pacquiao. In any case that both camps are unable to reach a common middle ground, Pacquiao will have to explore other options and fight in April instead. Could the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight be settled in the same way as Lewis-Tyson's?

To reach the author of this article, email r.corpuz@IBTimes.com.au.

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