BoxingScene.com has spoken to sources from both HBO and Showtime - and both networks have denied reaching a broadcast agreement on a Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao pay-per-view. Network sources were unable to discuss the remaining issues. Their information contradicts an earlier article on BoxingScene.com, where Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum informed the Associated Press that a deal was finally made between HBO and Showtime.
According to Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, HBO and Showtime have agreed on how they would broadcast a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. He says there were four major issues that where holding up a deal from being finalized and now only two issues were remaining. "We had four issues and we resolved two," said Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, to the AP. "Now we're working on resolving the other two. Unless something else comes up at the last minute, that's what my take is. There's a lot of devil in the details and that's what we're sorting through now. The remaining issues are obviously important to the participants, and are things we have to work out."
In response to some recent interviews, WBC/WBA welterweight and junior middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. took to the social networks and sent a message to his followers, advising them that his side of the negotiations are not to blame for the recent stall in finalizing a May 2nd unification with Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, stated in several interviews that Mayweather's team is dragging their feet in getting a deal done.
Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez, who is now an expert analyst for ESPN Deportes, is still not moved enough by Manny Pacquiao's recent performances to go against Floyd Mayweather Jr. There are ongoing negotiations to make a Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-pay-per-view for May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Cortez was impressed by Pacquiao's recent beatdown of previously undefeated Chris Algieri, who went down six times in the contest. Not impressed enough to pick the upset, even with Mayweather's two tough fights with Marcos Maidana.
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is not placing a deadline on the serious discussions to make a May pay-per-view fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The terms are being worked out by Arum, HBO CEO Richard Plepler and CBS CEO Less Moonves. Arum is getting concerned with the way the negotiations are dragging on and wants to complete the negotiations sooner than later. Mayweather's first fight with Marcos Maidana was not announced until the end of February, so this is not unusual for the pound-for-pound king as it relates to waiting until the end of the month to finalize an opponent.
Trainer Jeff Mayweather, uncle of WBC/WBA welterweight and junior middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., believes so many people dislike his nephew because of the many ways he enjoys and flaunts his money. Mayweather is the considered to be the highest paid athlete in the world and he shows off his wealth with an army of high priced cars, private jets, jewelry and extravagant properties. Because of that dislike, Jeff says a lot of people are rooting for Manny Pacquiao to become the first fighter to hand Mayweather a professional loss.
A PLANNED showdown between former stablemates and occasional sparring partners Manny Pacquiao and Britain’s Amir Khan is being planned for late this year or early next year. This was agreed upon during a meeting in London between Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight and eight-division world champion, and Khan, the current WBC welterweight Silver champion, who is coming off two impressive victories over Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander.
Weeks of negotiations are frustrating Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, the promoter of WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Arum is trying to close a deal for a fight between his man and WBC/WBA champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. As far as the agreed upon terms, Arum admits there are unresolved issues between the fighters and the networks. Mayweather has an exclusive contract with CBS/Showtime and Pacquiao fights under Time Warner/HBO. The networks are also negotiating on their end with problems related to the broadcast terms and which of them will obtain the lucrative rights to the delayed broadcast.
The negotiations are far more serious than they've ever been, but British star Amir Khan highly doubts that a Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight will happen on May 2nd. Khan has a stake in the outcome as he wants to fight both of them in May. He personally met with Pacquiao two weeks ago in London and the two former sparring partners had a pleasant conversation about facing each other this year. Last Tuesday, Pacquiao met face to face with Mayweather in Miami and the two of them had a productive conversation about fighting in May.
The clock continues to click as a perceived deadline approaches for the latest round of negotiations in efforts to get Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the ring. A deadline might sound irrelevant for a fight that has been “in discussion” since November ’09. Still, the most recent batch of talks have many in the industry more hopeful than ever before that boxing will finally get its long-awaited super fight, one that will undoubtedly shatter box office records if it can ever get signed.