About a week ago, the word started to trickle in that Mayweather & Pacquiao teams were actually negotiating and not just sending social media messages.
Because of that, BoxingRec actually put the fight on their schedule, before taking it down. Now, the LA Times lets us know exactly what has been going on behind the scenes.
While a final agreement has not been struck on the purse split, the official said the sides made noticeable progress on the subject in Thursday negotiations.
Mayweather sought a split at least 60-40 in his favor, and Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) expressed a willingness to meet that.
The parties have already agreed to stage the fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and they’ve also agreed on a drug-testing plan. A date remains unsettled. It’s believed the bout is being targeted for May or June.
My sources have told me it isn’t just the purse split, but who has control over the promotion. It has been Pacquiao’s side willingness to give up some control that has allowed the negotiations to get this far.
In the end, it will be up to Mayweather to sign off on the fight or not. If it does get done, it will be a joint venture between HBO & Showtime.
Expect a decision within the next two weeks.