By Mark Vester
According to promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, the May 2 battle between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton is not a lock to land on HBO's pay-per-view arm. The Las Vegas bout may head over to HBO's network rival, Showtime, if the right deal is made. Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, tells the Los Angeles Times that Showtime's connection to CBS would be a major boost to help with the distribution and hype of the pay-per-view.
Arum told the paper that he likes the idea of Showtime putting together a reality show in a "24/7" fashion and having it air on CBS. In 2008, Showtime used CBS as a vehicle to push their MMA product.
"Legally, we're free to negotiate with Showtime for this fight, and we will next week in New York," said Arum. "This is being talked about seriously. In order for boxing to prosper, it has to be on free network TV. CBS, because of its relationship with Showtime, is best positioned to be the network that does this. [CBS President] Les Moonves is a huge fight fan."
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