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Showtime boxing chief Stephen Espinoza isn’t in “panic mode” yet regarding the never-ending negotiations between superstars Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, and says that only a “handful” of issues remains to make the fight.
But he did say that a backup plan has already been put in place for Mayweather to face either Miguel Cotto or Amir Khan on May 2 if the Pacquiao talks collapse.
“He’s definitely fighting on May 2,” Espinoza told the Daily News in a phone interview on Friday. “His first choice by far is Manny Pacquiao. If it becomes clear that that fight is not achievable, then he would move on to either Amir Khan or Miguel Cotto. He’s made it clear to us that Pacquiao is still his No. 1 priority, and that’s where all our energy is focused.”
Espinoza said there was still plenty of time to announce the May 2 fight against Pacquiao.
“There is urgency to get this done and get it going, but we’re not in a panic mode in terms of the calendar right now,” he said.
Espinoza declined to say if there’s a firm deadline for when all parties would move on from a Mayweather-Pacquiao deal, but expressed confidence that whatever issues remain are surmountable.
“I would say I’m optimistic that it can get done,” Espinoza said. “We have work to do to bridge the gap on important issues, but the most important thing is that Floyd genuinely wants it and wants it badly, and from everything I’ve heard and seen, Manny wants the fight as well.”
Speaking in generalities about the complexity of the discussions, he said of the issues involved:
“Imagine the Super Bowl was negotiated on a case-by-case basis. So what network the Super Bowl is on, who produced it, which is the home team, where the teams stay, who gets introduced first, what network talent is involved and that gives a little bit of insight of why this process seems to be dragging on for quite a while.”
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