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Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Friday, Dec. 4, 2009 | 11:56 a.m.
Reader poll
The super fight is on.
According to ESPN.com reports, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) has agreed to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KO). Top Rank CEO Bob Arum flew to meet with Pacquiao on Tuesday on the mega-fight and it appears the Filipino has accepted the terms of the deal. Mayweather has already previously agreed to the deal according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
Although the final contract requires a few more details, both fighters have agreed to basic terms, including the likely date of March 13.
In an interview with GMA television, Pacquiao said, "March 13 is OK."
The deal consists of a welterweight bout that would be contested at 147 pounds, the maximum for that weight division.
Pacquiao’s most recent fight, a 12th round TKO win over Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14, was fought at a catch-weight of 145 pounds. Mayweather’s latest fight, a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19, was also at a catch-weight of 144 pounds, although Mayweather weighed in at 146.
The location of the fight still remains in question, although it is known that leading candidates still include the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Superdome in New Orleans and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. There have also been talks of erecting a temporary 30,000-seat venue in the area located across the strip from the Wynn Casino and Hotel.
The two fighters are considered the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport and many believe the fight will be the richest in boxing history, eclipsing the 2.44 million pay-per-view buys set by Mayweather's split decision win over Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.
Anticipation for the fight reached new peaks after Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto by 12th-round TKO on Nov. 14, making him the first boxer in the sports history to win a world title in seven different weight divisions. Mayweather's last fight was a unanimous decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19.
President of HBO Sports Ross Greenburg called the potential matchup "one of the biggest matchups in boxing history" the night of the Pacquiao fight and vowed the fight would be made.
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.
I hope Jerry Jones hosts this fight. There have been too many times where Pac's fights in Vegas have been sold out.
100,000 people to watch a fight in the new Dallas Stadium with those insane high defintion screens would be awesome.
I would fly out of Vegas in a heartbeat to watch this fight.
With Mayweather in town can you say, NBA Allstar weekend repeat? Hell no..
great--lets send the biggest fight in the last 20 years to texas--nice idea. Vegas needs this fight and mgm deserves to host it. mgm really has stepped up the past few years to host a bunch of fights that led to this fight and mgm should get the fight if money had nothing to do with it. Would hate the town and tax coffers to miss out on this one.
Do it in the T&M.
it could hold 22000 4 boxing (the greatest sport in the world).
My mind says floyd but my heart says Manny.
GO PAC!
I can't believe Las Vegas, the boxing capital of the world, has a chance to not host this fight. As luck would have it, I have a weeks vacation scheduled in March and I was grinning from ear to ear.... Til I saw Dallas and ,LOLOLOL, New Orleans also mentioned...WHAT THE F%*K??
Does the gate really matter when the pay-per-view will be enormous? The filipino is mainly in the West and you can bet if it were held in LV they will drive to root for their champion. If the fight were held in Texas it is doubtful they will get the same number of filipino fans going to see the live action. Although there arealot of fight fans, will it be possible to fill a large Texas stadium without the attendance of filipino fans?