It's been a month since Floyd Mayweather said he'd "love to fight Manny Pacquiao," and that Bob Arum remained the biggest roadblock to making it happen.
Well, according to Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, things are about halfway done.
Arum told Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole that Pacquiao has agreed to terms for a fight, and the only thing in the way now is Mayweather's approval.
"I'm not trying to force anybody's hand, I'm just saying, 'Hey, we've agreed to everything, period,'" Arum told Yahoo! Sports. "The people we have talked to on Mayweather's side have agreed to everything. Now we need Mayweather to step up and say, 'Yeah, I'm on board. I agree.'
"I'm not going to put a deadline on there. I'm just going to hope that everybody does the right thing and we get this concluded. It would be really sad if we went through this stuff again like we did before."
Floyd Mayweather defeated Marcos Maidana twice in 2014.Josh Slagter | MLive.comYahoo!'s Iole cites two sources saying it would be a 60-40 purse split, in favor of Mayweather.If Mayweather-Pacquiao happens likely for May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas it's a bout that's been more than five years in the making.
In 2009, it was Pacquiao's initial refusal to random blood and urine testing that derailed negotiations. Later, Mayweather said he offered the Filipino star a $40 million flat purse for the fight, which the latter refused. And Mayweather has repeatedly said he has no interest in working with Arum, his own former promoter.
Mayweather has an exclusive contract with Showtime, for two more fights. Pacquiao now fights on HBO. The two networks would have to work out a way to do the pay-per-view together, not simple but an obstacle they've overcome in the past.
There's been some talk of a Miguel Cotto-Saul "Canelo" Alvarez bout also materializing for early 2015, possibly May 2.
But Freddie Roach who trains both Cotto and Pacquiao told Los Angeles Times' Lance Pugmire he's been given assurances by Arum the two fights would be separated enough that he could train both fighters.
Roach said a Mayweather-imposed condition of the fight was the May 2 date.
Mayweather hasn't spoken publicly since his Dec. 13 appearance on Showtime.
"I know that he's not on my level. The fans would love to see the fight. And of course, I want to go out with a bang," Mayweather said.
Source: http://www.mlive.com/mayweather/index.ssf/2015/01/floyd_mayweather_manny_pacquia_6.html
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