By Chris LaBate

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is currently negotiating with at least two investment groups who are interested in staging a welterweight mega-unification between champions Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to Arum, Pacquiao's agent, Michale Koncz, is also involved in the negotiations.

Arum indicates that one of the investment groups is talking directly with Mayweather, without the involvement of Golden Boy Promotions. Mayweather is a promotional free agent and usually hires Golden Boy to co-promote his events.

“[The group] is also in talks with Mayweather. Mayweather is going solo,” said Arum to the Manila Bulletin.

Arum told the paper that Mayweather reportedly doesn't want Golden Boy to be involved in the ongoing negotiations. Despite reports to the contrary, Arum says he is “seriously exploring a Mayweather fight.”

In an earlier BoxingScene news brief, it was reported that Koncz recently visited Mayweather's Las Vegas gym and spoke with the fighter. Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, denied that any business related matters were discussed between Koncz and Mayweather. It is hard for many to believe that Koncz traveled, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, to visit Mayweather's gym for a photo-op.

Meanwhile, Top Rank's Arum has a smile on his face. The early pay-per-view figures for Pacquiao's trilogy fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, which took place on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is going to generate the Filipino star's biggest buyrate number. Arum expects a minimum buy figure of 1.4 million.