Encouraging news reports on the ongoing fight negotiations show that the fight that every boxing fan wants to see will finally happen.
Two contentious issues have reportedly been settled by the negotiating panels of both camps which include the fight venue and the random blood and urine testing.
This leaves the negotiating parties with just two major issues to be resolved which include the purse split and the actual date of the fight.
Other issues like the size or weight of the gloves to be used, billing (who should enter the ring first or who should lead in outdoor ads),etc.can be resolved without much efforts from both sides.
Right after Mayweather announced is decision to face Pacquiao in the ring on May 2, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum opposed the date chosen by Mayweather saying that it will coincide with Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican independence day gathering that ought to feature a Mexican fighter
Another reason why Arum opposed the holding of the fight on May 2 could have something to do with his ongoing fight discussion between the camps of Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto for a possible showdown on Cinco de Mayo week of May 2.
While Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) owner Oscar de la Hoya, who promotes Alvarez and Arum, who is negotiating for Cotto will find the Mexican day celebrations a very ideal date for the Cotto-Alvarez fight, they could move the fight later to June in order to give give way to the most urgent Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
Fans will certainly appreciate if the roadblock to the May 2 date is removed so that only one more pressing issue remains to be tackled in the next few days which is the agreement on the percentage of sharing the fight purse.
Mayweather had repeatedly blamed Arum for having stood in the way of the fight in previous negotiations.
Now it appears that Arum is again standing in the way of the super fight with his opposition to the date preferred by Mayweather.
If indeed Arum is sincere in getting the fight done, now is the time for him to move the Cotto-Alvarez fight to a later date and give way to the more urgent Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on May 2.
