By Edward Chaykosvky

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum would prefer to stage Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao on a date in June, to allow everyone involved additional time to promote what everyone considers to be 'the biggest fight in boxing."

Mayweather demanded the lucrative Cinco De Mayo date of May 2nd, at the MGM Grand, and Top Rank/Pacquiao agreed to that demand. Mayweather traditionally fights on Cinco De Mayo weekend and Mexico Independence Day weekend in September.

“In the first discussion, I conceded to them that we're doing May 2nd because that's what Mayweather wanted,” Arum said in an interview on DZMM’s Teka Muna. ''I don't want that date because, number 1 - I couldn't give us more time to promote, and number 2 - it's the Cinco de Mayo weekend which is a Mexican holiday.

''Neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao are Mexicans, but I clearly said that if that is what it takes to make the fight happen then we'd go along to May 2nd. For me it would be sometime in June.''

Arum is on the same page with Showtime Sports head Stephen Espinoza, who told BoxingScene.com on Friday night that a lot of issues have to be solved before the two sides can reach a done deal.

''There's a lot more work to do... hopefully the work would be done, you have to understand there's a lot of money involved here, a lot of issues. It's a big deal and it takes time to negotiate a fight.''