This is an interview from bob arum today, link at the bottom. I quoted the interesting parts. Full article below.
Jones Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones wants to host boxing's biggest fight -- Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. And he thinks he can draw 120,000 for it.
"Jerry [Jones] is certainly interested and so is the MGM," Bob Arum said. "It will be, if the fight happens, and I hope it will, in mid-November. It would be in one of those two places."
"The fight we want to do is the Mayweather fight," Arum said. "There is no question that is the fight the public wants. I'm very optimistic once we start we will conclude this time [but] you never know."
"I don't want to discuss the issues involved in making the fight because we will be involved in negotiations. Our goal is to make that fight happen," said Arum, who would not discuss Pacquiao's stance on the drug testing. "We're not going to negotiate in the press. If we do, given the egos of both camps, it will never happen."
Another aspect of the talks will be how to handle the defamation suit Pacquiao filed against Mayweather and others involved in the talks. Pacquiao said they had wrongly accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs.
"Right now the lawsuit is still in play. The lawsuit is still being actively pursued," Arum said. "All these issues are on the table and they'll be negotiated. I assume in the negotiation the issue of the pending lawsuit will be discussed."
"Once you start negotiating through the media it becomes an ego contest. Then each side can't wait to give its statement to the press and the flames just shoot up and there is no real opportunity for rational behavior to take over. Everybody is so interested in setting forth his position to the media that that becomes the contest, and that involved me as well as everybody else [last time]."
So when will the negotiations with the Mayweather camp begin?
"I have my marching orders and it will be sooner rather than later," Arum said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5182633
Jones Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones wants to host boxing's biggest fight -- Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. And he thinks he can draw 120,000 for it.
"Jerry [Jones] is certainly interested and so is the MGM," Bob Arum said. "It will be, if the fight happens, and I hope it will, in mid-November. It would be in one of those two places."
"The fight we want to do is the Mayweather fight," Arum said. "There is no question that is the fight the public wants. I'm very optimistic once we start we will conclude this time [but] you never know."
"I don't want to discuss the issues involved in making the fight because we will be involved in negotiations. Our goal is to make that fight happen," said Arum, who would not discuss Pacquiao's stance on the drug testing. "We're not going to negotiate in the press. If we do, given the egos of both camps, it will never happen."
Another aspect of the talks will be how to handle the defamation suit Pacquiao filed against Mayweather and others involved in the talks. Pacquiao said they had wrongly accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs.
"Right now the lawsuit is still in play. The lawsuit is still being actively pursued," Arum said. "All these issues are on the table and they'll be negotiated. I assume in the negotiation the issue of the pending lawsuit will be discussed."
"Once you start negotiating through the media it becomes an ego contest. Then each side can't wait to give its statement to the press and the flames just shoot up and there is no real opportunity for rational behavior to take over. Everybody is so interested in setting forth his position to the media that that becomes the contest, and that involved me as well as everybody else [last time]."
So when will the negotiations with the Mayweather camp begin?
"I have my marching orders and it will be sooner rather than later," Arum said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5182633
