Pacquiao Agrees To Mayweather Fight, Awaits Money’s Response
Boxing’s long-awaited superfight is closer to happening than ever.
Manny Pacquiao has agreed to the terms of a May 2 bout against arch-nemesis Floyd Mayweather, clearing another hurdle for the long-anticipated showdown that would be biggest fight in boxing history. Yahoo Sports first reported Tuesday night that Pacquiao has agreed to a 60-40 revenue split in which Mayweather would make an estimated $120 million and Pacquiao $80 million.
The torturously awaited welterweight clash between the two most prominent boxers on the planet would take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the site of Mayweather’s past 10 fights and five of Pacquiao’s last seven. If you believe Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, all that’s left is for Mayweather himself to agree to the deal.
When asked whether he was trying to force Mayweather’s hand by announcing that Pacquiao had agreed to the terms of the bout, Arum told Yahoo Sports: “I’m not trying to force anybody’s hand, I’m just saying, ‘Hey, we’ve agreed to everything, period.’
“The people we have talked to on Mayweather’s side have agreed to everything,” Arum added. “Now we need Mayweather to step up and say, ‘Yeah, I’m on board. I agree.'”
The last time the fight was this close to happening was 2009, before it collapsed due to squabbles over revenue splits and drug testing procedures.
It’s expected that Showtime and HBO will work together for a joint-pay-per-view telecast, as Mayweather is under contract to Showtime and Pacquiao is with HBO. That’s similar to what happened with another superfight that was years in the making: the 2002 heavyweight championship bout between Mike Tyson, who was with Showtime, and Lennox Lewis, who had a contract with HBO.
The question that remains is whether Mayweather will finally agree to the long-debated megabout, but fight fans now have more reason to believe that the answer will come in the affirmative – and soon. The face-off between the two greatest fighters of their era may finally go down.
Photos by Chris Hyde / Getty Images
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