MANILA, Philippines – Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar de la Hoya spilled the beans on the confidential negotiations for the super showdown between top pound-for-pound fighters Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
In an interview with Spanish broadcasting network Univision, de la Hoya said they are “very close in finalizing the contracts that were once very complicated.”
“I think right now we are very, very close in finalizing the contracts. I can't talk right now in detail about the negotiations but I will say that we are very close,” de la Hoya was quoted by TheBoxingTruth.com.
The negotiations are being done by Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, Inc. big boss Bob Arum, and Mayweather’s representative, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
“Up until now, it's been a very difficult negotiation process for various reasons but right now we're very close,” added de la Hoya.
Seven-division world champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao
Pacquiao and Mayweather were supposed to face off last March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. But fight talks collapsed because the boxers disagreed on the drug testing protocol
Pacquiao refused to undergo the Olympic-style drug testing procedure, but reversed his stand as long as the blood test would be conducted 14 days before the fight.
Mayweather, who had been silent since Pacquiao’s agreement to undergo blood testing, then made waves with his pronouncement that he would be taking a break from boxing.
Despite this, Arum said the Pacquiao-Mayweather blockbuster bout was still in the cards.
“The two fighters now realize that this fight must be made. It has to be made because the boxing fans want to see it happen and right now it's the biggest fight that can be made in the world,” continued de la Hoya.
The Mexican-American boxing legend, who suffered his last 2 career losses to Mayweather and Pacquiao, stated: “It's going to be a big, big fight!”
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