Report: Progress being made on Mayweather-Pacquiao fight

Boxing fans might see Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao meet in the ring after all.

A report in Friday’s online edition of the Los Angeles Times indicated that progress has been made in negotiations between the camps of the two boxers and that the MGM Grand Garden would be the site of the fight.

Citing an unnamed source, the Times story indicated the sides have agreed to a prefight drug testing protocol and are nearing an agreement on how to distribute what could be a $200 million purse.

No one would confirm the Times report on the record, but a source with knowledge of the negotiations told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the details were accurate.

When asked if he could comment on the negotiations, Bob Arum, the chairman of Top Rank who is Pacquiao’s longtime promoter, said Friday: “I can’t talk about it.”

As for the MGM hosting the fight, the date of May 2, which falls on Cinco de Mayo weekend, usually has been reserved for Mayweather. But Canelo Alvarez also wants to fight in Las Vegas on that date, and Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya has said he will do everything he can to have Alvarez fight at the MGM Grand on May 2.

But Mayweather-Pacquiao could take place later in May or in June. The only unavailable date falls on Memorial Day weekend, when Bette Midler is booked for the Grand Garden on May 22.

Another negotiating point would be television. Pacquiao fights on HBO Pay Per View, and Mayweather, who had fought most of his career on HBO, has two bouts left on a six-fight deal with Showtime.

There’s a chance both cable networks could televise the fight. There is precedent for a joint venture, as the 2002 heavyweight title fight between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis was televised on Showtime and HBO.

Whether both sides have dialed down the rhetoric also could be a telling sign. Pacquiao has been goading Mayweather to fight him through social media, mostly with shots on Twitter. But those barbs have ceased this week.

Mayweather went on Showtime last month and told Pacquiao there was no way he would agree to give him the $40 million they were discussing during negotiations in 2010. Perhaps he has recently softened his stance, though Mayweather probably would insist on the greater share of the purse and pay-per-view revenue.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.