By Edward Chaykovsky

In order for their welterweight unification to happen, WBA/WBA champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is demanding that a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the WBO's beltholder, be handled by Showtime Pay-Per-View. Mayweather also wants his company, [Floyd] Mayweather Promotions, to be the lead promoter of the event.

Mayweather has a multi-fight exclusive contract with Showtime. Pacquiao is under contract to rival network HBO and he has a promotional agreement with Top Rank.  

"If the Pacquiao fight does happen it has to happen on Showtime Pay-Per-View only and Mayweather Promotions have to do the fight," Mayweather told ESPN UK.

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, hopes a deal can be worked out.

“Of course you have hope, because it’s all about giving the fans what they want to see. We would love to fight him. We all know what the obstacles have been in the past. But you forget about all that and try to put it behind you and make it happen," Ellerbe said.

Pacquiao returns on November 22nd in Macau, when he takes on Chris Algieri. Mayweather is planning to fight again in May.

To make a fight between Mayweather and Pacquioa, the only model that works is a joint pay-per-view project between HBO and Showtime, very similar to 2002 PPV between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis, which saw both networks and all of the involved propmoters put aside their differences to stage the event.