A FIGHT between Ring Magazine pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still a possibility, but the date and the venue are still up in the air. Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz isn’t giving up and has a series of meetings scheduled for the next three days with different individuals in Las Vegas. It started off with a dinner meeting last night, but the adviser was tight-lipped and wouldn’t divulge the person’s identity or details of their conversation.
Koncz refused to indicate whether he would meet with Mayweather during his Las Vegas stay. Koncz first met Mayweather in a one-on-one conversation at the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas last month, and the undefeated fighter has since called him twice and also sent him text messages.
The Pacquiao adviser is not disposed towards releasing any details of talks to the media because he contends the negotiations are “very delicate,” and he doesn’t wish to blow it by violating a commitment he made to May-weather. Koncz has been working quietly in trying to get a Pacquiao‑Mayweather fight over the past two-and-a-half months, but as of yesterday, there was no information on whether any progress has been made.
Mayweather’s phone calls during which he also spoke briefly to Pacquiao indicate the hostile relations between the two camps have thawed.
One issue that needs to be resolved and which May-weather himself raised is the pending defamation of character lawsuit filed by Pacquiao against him, his father Floyd Mayweather Sr. and his uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather. Mayweather spoke about getting the lawsuit against him dropped, which he claimed in a email to ESPN, that he had raised in two separate conversations with Koncz.
However, Pacquiao’s lawyer David Marroso “Our case against the Mayweathers continues. We expect depositions to occur over the next two months and hopefully trial shortly thereafter.”
Meantime, Pacquiao’s friend and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud said he believes a rematch with Miguel Cotto will not happen and that with Pacquiao wishing to fight at 147 pounds, the most likely opponent for a June 9 bout in case the Mayweather showdown doesn’t take place on that date, will be World Boxing Association junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.
Salud also expressed confidence that the Mayweather fight will ultimately take place and that the best date will be November. (R. Nathanielsz)
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