MANILA, Philippines – For Top Rank Inc. chief Bob Arum, time is running out to make a deal for a May 2 super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Speaking to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Arum said the two sides better get the fight sealed now if they want to stick to the original date.
"The thing that really concerns me is that we are running out of time for May 2," the veteran promoter said.
Otherwise, Arum suggested moving the showdown to a later date, either at the end of May or even in June.
"If you want to drag this out a little longer then move the fight to later in May – May 30 is a good date – or go in June. We agreed to go on May 2 because that is the date Mayweather is hung up on, but if we're going to go on May 2 we need to get this done," he continued.
Arum has been going back and forth with Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS, the parent network of Showtime, which holds the exclusive rights to air Mayweather’s fights. Pacquiao is under contract with rival network HBO, and it has been reported that network issues remain a roadblock to a deal.
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"I've asked Les to expeditiously handle the points there are issues with. Moonves can handle it. The question is whether the Mayweather side will listen to him. If they're sincere about trying to make the fight it shouldn't be an issue, or are they playing a game? I don't know,” Arum continued.
There was renewed hope for finalizing a Mayweather-Pacquiao after the two superstars personally met at halftime of the NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks last week. After exchanging numbers with Pacquiao, Mayweather visited the fighting congressman in his hotel in Miami for a longer and reportedly more productive talk.
Boxing fans hoped the encounter would speed up the process and get the fight sealed, but Arum maintained that negotiations are complicated.
"There are issues that should be solved in 10 minutes, but it's a slow dance. We send one draft to their side and their lawyer sends back a draft with something else that's an issue. And there doesn't seem to be any urgency about it on their side. It's terrible," Arum explained.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said their camp has vowed not to talk about the ongoing negotiations anymore. Apart from yielding to Mayweather’s several demands, the Filipino icon’s camp is also leaving the announcement of the fight – once it becomes final – to Mayweather.
But Arum, it turns out, does not acknowledge that gag order and continues to talk.
"But I don't know. If people were really concentrating on this it could be done in no time," he said. – Dino Maragay