NEW YORK: An official announcement of a Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao fight is expected to come on Monday after a venue for the world welterweight title fight is decided, according to Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum.
“I’m very optimistic that everything will come together and we’ll have an announcement by next Monday,” Arum told Reuters in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
“I think it’s going to be the biggest fight of all time, certainly from a revenue standpoint. It could gross a couple of hundred million ($US).” The pair is considered the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
American Mayweather, who has won titles at five different weight classes, has a 40-0 record. Filipino Pacquiao improved to 50-3-2 when he became the first to win titles in seven classes when he stopped Miguel Cotto last month to win the WBO welterweight crown.
Arum said both fighters were on board for a March 13 clash that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars and become the biggest ever boxing promotion.
“We don’t want to do an official announcement until we know where the fight’s going to be held,” said Arum. “That’s what we’re exploring this week.
“Tomorrow we’ll be in Dallas visiting with (NFL Dallas Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones at Cowboys Stadium and hopefully by Monday of next week we’ll have a venue and a deal in place.
“I know that Jerry Jones has really worked on the possibility and that’s why we’re meeting with him tomorrow.” The new $1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium seats about 73,000.
Arum said there were other contenders to host the bout.
“There’s the MGM in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, that is the only possibility because the outdoor stadium will not work in March.
“We have heard but haven’t really explored the (Louisiana) Superdome in New Orleans and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
Haye steps up
Klitschko baiting
Meanwhile, Britain’s David Haye stepped up his bid to goad Vitali Klitschko into the ring by accusing the Ukrainian of devaluing heavyweight boxing with title defenses nobody is interested in.
Haye, the WBA champion, reiterated his desire to fight both Vitali and his brother Wladimir and was scathing about the prospect of Vitali’s scheduled defense of his WBC belt against unheralded American Kevin Johnson in Berne, Switzerland on Saturday.
“I’ll be watching the fight, but only because I have an interest in meeting Vitali next year,” Haye said Wednesday.
“As far as the fight itself goes, it’s one of the most unappealing heavyweight title fights for a while — and that’s saying something.
“The fact that a title fight between a Ukrainian and an American is being held in Switzerland tells you all you need to know about the appeal of this fight. “Heavyweight title fights should be huge events, not an after-thought in a country most famous for producing Toblerones.” Haye said he wanted to fight Vitali, the elder of the Ukrainian brothers, before age catches up with him, and also believes he is too good for Wladimir, the IBF and WBO champion.
“I want to knock out both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, and I don’t care what order they fall in,” the 29-year-old said.
“Vitali is nearly 40 years of age now and the clock is ticking if he wants to form any sort of legacy. There are probably one million dudes in America called Kevin Johnson, and beating one of them doesn’t make you an all-time great heavyweight.
