Only the venue is left hanging as far as the May 2 super-lightweight battle between Filipino bomber Manny Pacquiao and British banger Ricky Hatton is concerned, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the Bulletin yesterday.
Arum said his company Top Rank – which will be the lead promoter for the event – and Hatton’s outfit Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) "are on the same page" and that a formal announcement should be done by next week.
Meetings with two interested parties – the MGM/Mirage and the Wynn Group – has been set for Tuesday, according to Arum, who got the approval of Pacquiao when they met over dinner in Los Angeles just before New Year’s Day.
"Everything seems a go...negotiations with Golden Boy is finished," said Arum, stressing that the 16,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena and the 19,000-capacity Thomas and Mack Center are vying for the right to host the much-awaited bout.
The fight is close to being signed, sealed and delivered that Arum revealed that should it take place at the Thomas and Mack Center – where Pacquiao twice mauled Erik Morales in 2006 – the 30-year-old pound-for-pound king will stay at the Wynn, while Hatton will reside at Planet Hollywood.
The Wynn also has control over Planet Hollywood, which also has an arena although it’s 7,000-seat venue is too small to accommodate an expected throng of Pacquiao and Hatton supporters.
Arum noted that the media tour is already on tap with Pacquiao making a visit to England to promote it in London and Manchester, which is Hatton’s hometown.
"Manny’s coming over to the States on Jan. 23 to watch the (Antonio) Margarito-(Shane) Mosley fight (at Staples Center on Jan. 24) and we will be taking a commercial flight to England on the 26th," Arum said, adding the revenue from the sale of English TV pay-per-view is important.
Pacquiao is in Los Angeles with his family and is scheduled to fly back to the Philippines on Jan. 10.
Arum said the trip to England – Pacquiao’s first to the United Kingdom – will be perfect since all talk during that week in the States will be the Super Bowl.
"Besides, Manny’s naming his baby girl Queen Elizabeth," said Arum, chuckling.
"Then Manny returns here in the last week of February for the US tour that will bring him to New York, San Francisco and then to Los Angeles," Arum added.
After the US press tour, Pacquiao will begin training under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card in Hollywood.
Source: mb.com.ph
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