By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum went to dinner on Monday night in Los Angeles with Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach to discuss the planned fight against Britain ’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton.

In an overseas telephone conversation with insidesports, Standard Today and Viva Sports some thirty minutes before the dinner meeting Arum said “as far as (Richard) Schaefer is concerned, he and I have worked out a deal, now its subject to everybody approving it. “

The deal covers a Pacquiao-Hatton fight on May 2 in Las Vegas .

Arum said he doesn’t foresee any difficulties in finalizing the deal but cautioned “you never know although I really don’t” pointing that talks have gone well with the Hatton people and didn’t think he’ll have any problems with Pacquiao.

Arum who held talks with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer since GBP promotes Hatton said the fight would be “a very big event particularly with the English television money which will be in the pot.”

Asked about the purse and other revenue sharing details Arum replied “ its the same type of arrangement we had before. Manny gets a percentage and I guarantee a minimum amount on that percentage.”

The astute Top Rank promoter believes that “seems the way it works well” revealing that for the fight with Oscar De La Hoya last December 6 in Las Vegas he had guaranteed Pacquiao $11 million including Pacquiao’s percentage if it exceeded $11 million, so I think he (Pacquiao) will be quite happy.”

The $11 guarantee covered Pacquiao’s guaranteed purse of $6 million and 32 percent of pay-per-view income.

Meantime the staff at the BBC Sport website have picked Pacquiao overt Welshman Joe Calzaghe as the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer.

The report said the Staff “have banged their heads together and compiled a list of the world’s top-qo boxers, pound-for-pound. Taking weight out of the equation, this subjective list factors in fighters’ recent results, as well as their style, resilience and punching power.”

It said “ the list will be updated periodically and should be treated as a talking point.”