MGM Grand to serve as venue for Pacquiao-Mayweather – report

MANILA, Philippines – The negotiations for the super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a major leap as both camps reportedly agreed to stage the highly-anticipated clash at the 16,800-capactiy MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to a report by LA Times’ Lance Pugmire, the talks have made a significant progress as the two parties settled on the aforementioned venue, which made a reputation for hosting high-profile bouts such as the first and second encounters of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, the De La Hoya-Pacquiao dream match in December 2008, and the blockbuster Mayweather-Alvarez showdown in September 2013.

Aside from the location, the report also stated the opposing sides have already approved the drug testing protocols to be followed for the marquee match-up as Pacquiao and Mayweather are likely to undergo Olympic-style random screening.

The remaining issues that have not yet been addressed are splitting what could be a $200-million purse and determining the exact date of the much-awaited faceoff.

There have been dialogues between Pacquiao and Mayweather in the past, but for several reasons, the talks always collapsed.

The first negotiations in 2009 fell through after Mayweather demanded Pacquiao to go through blood testing up to the official weigh-in, which was initially turned down by the Filipino boxing icon.

Mayweather offered Pacquiao $40 million for the fight in 2012, but the brash American refused to give the latter a share of the pay-per-view revenue, which was viewed as unfair by the Pinoy pugilist.

With the potential to break pay-per-view and gate attendance records, the Pacquiao-Mayweather scrap has long been considered as the richest bout that can be made in the sport.

Pacquiao seems to clear a number of obstacles that had previously been hampering the negotiation of luring Mayweather into a 12-round confrontation, including the gesture of accommodating the pound-for-pound king’s wishes to have the fight on May 2 and willingly to take the lower half of the bout’s proceeds.

Along with the prize money and match date, another crucial point of the negotiating period would be securing the pay-per-view network partner as the 37-year-old Mayweather maintained on numerous occasions that that the fight should be broadcasted on Showtime, while Pacquiao is hooked with HBO. – Rappler.com