The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight drew closer to reality when Pacquiao agreed to terms for a March 13 showdown in a face-to-face meeting with his promoter.
That promoter, Bob Arum, refused to discuss particulars of the meeting Thursday in Manila -- Friday in the U.S. -- but Pacquiao reportedly agreed to the parameters of the financial terms.
Mayweather, the undefeated Grand Rapids native, already has agreed to terms.
“It looks like there’s been an agreement with Pacquiao but Bob has to take the numbers back to Richard Schaefer,” Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels said.
Schaefer is CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and has represented Mayweather in the negotiations.
“It’s not done until its done,” Samuels said. “No one has signed a contract. Obviously, Bob is happy with what happened with Pacquiao, but Bob isn’t saying what happened.”
Pacquiao, in an interview with GMA television in The Philippines, said "March 13 is OK."
"The difference between Floyd and others I have fought is that Floyd makes a lot of trash talk that should not be imitated by young people," he said in the interview.
Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, told The Associated Press that “We all believe that it will be done” after the meeting between his fighter and Arum.
The AP quoted Koncz as saying Pacquiao made some additional requests of Arum to close the deal, which "were so realistic that Arum doesn't feel it's a problem and it's pretty much a done deal."
Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, could not be reached for comment, but sources told The Press that a site feasibility study of Cowboys Stadium in Dallas tentatively is scheduled for next week, with Arum, Schaefer and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg expected to go.
Las Vegas also is a leading contender to host the fight, and New Orleans is under consideration.
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