By Lem Satterfield

In early August, promoter Don King invited Floyd Mayweather to his Florida home for a lavish dinner.

A week later, just prior to his 79th birthday, King had the unbeaten fighter at ringside for an HBO-televised main event featuring then WBC and IBF junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander's unanimous decision over former WBA king Andriy Kotelnik at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

King was making no secrets of his desire to woo the six-time titlist Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts), this, in an effort to match him against Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum's seven-division king Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) in a megabout after negotiations between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions -- on behalf of Mayweather -- had twice failed.

King let on that he was trying to win Mayweather yet again during a Thursday conference call with members of the national media.

King did so as he and Arum shared time touting a Showtime televised, March 12 clash between WBA junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 knockouts) and Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 22 KOs).

"It just so happens that Mayweather is here right now. Whether or not he's going to do anything, I don't know. But whatever happens there, it will take care of itself," said King, who was at his home in Florida.

"Floyd's He's got a a little penthouse down here in Miami, and he's here," said King. "And he was on a yacht the day before. He's doing his thing, but he's in close vacinity."

Negotiations for a megabout between Mayweather and Pacquiao failed over the issue of Olympic style drug testing.