by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao is confident that his planned May 2 showdown with the undisputed pound-for-pound king and undefeated welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will happen.
Pacquiao told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard/Viva Sports that the negotiations are almost done and that he and Mayweather had both agreed that "this fight has to happen" and that a few minor points were being ironed out even as the fighting congressman from Sarangani province revealed that Mayweather himself "wants our fight to push through" and that there is still time to make the May 2 fight date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Lass Vegas.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had earlier made it clear that negotiations had been "narrowed down" to what the astute promoter categorized as "extraordinarily small points" even as Pacquiao revealed that contractual and other details had already been agreed upon.
When contacted by the Standard, Pacquiao's longtime adviser Mike Koncz who is still in the United States, presumably tying up some loose ends, said when asked whether there would be some news over the weekend, "we will see, but no comment right now."
Koncz was privy to the agreement reached between Pacquiao and Mayweather when they met for over an hour at Pacquiao's hotel suite some hours after the two fighters talked to each other during halftime of the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Although no details were released by either side, it's already been learned two sides had agreed to a 60-40 revenue split in favor of Mayweather as well as the date and venue plus random drug testing with Pacquiao putting a $5 million fine if either fighter fails the drug test.
