By Ryan Maquiñana

Sources have advised BoxingScene.com that Golden Boy officials and Floyd Mayweather’s team will hold a meeting in Los Angeles on Friday to discuss and likely finalize the WBC welterweight champion’s May 5 opponent.

WBO welterweight king Manny Pacquiao and WBC junior middleweight titlist Saul “Canelo” Alvarez are still in the mix, but WBA/WBO interim lightweight boss Robert Guerrero has reportedly stepped to the forefront.

Pacquiao has stated to Eddie Alinea of PhilBoxing.com that he will meet with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum on Tuesday and “insist” to his promoter that the fight with Mayweather “be given the preference” over any other options.

However, given Arum’s acrimonious relationship with Mayweather, time is running out on a megaclash between the two pay-per-view superstars in the immediate future.

According to the source, the decision could be announced even earlier than Friday if Mayweather can agree to terms with either Guerrero or Alvarez, both of whom are Golden Boy fighters.

Mayweather was originally scheduled to begin a 90-day sentence in a Las Vegas jail cell on January 6 as a result of pleading guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

However, Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa granted the request of Mayweather’s attorney Richard Wright to hold off sentencing so that his client could go on with a bout that he argued would bring in more than $100 million to the local economy.

Ryan Maquiñana is the boxing correspondent for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Advisory Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com , check out his blog at www.maqdown.com , or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.

Tags: Floyd Mayweather Jr. , Robert Guerrero