Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum has confirmed that his fighter will commit to another fight before he steps into the ring against Mnayweather, who remains unbeaten professionally.
Arum told Sports Illustrated’s website that it doesn’t make sense financially for Pacquiao and Mayweather to fight on May 5, the date the Mayweather has insisted on.
For Mayweather, fighting any later becomes problematic, as he is supposed to report to jail on June 1 to serve a 90-day sentence for a domestic violence conviction.
“Economically it is a problem that Floyd created,” Arum said. “The amount that would be lost by moving it to May 5 is enormous.”
Arum said Pacquiao, 33, would next fight on June 9 at a new outdoor boxing facility being constructed in Las Vegas against an unspecified opponent. Arum said he spoke recently with the facilities construction officials who said there is no way the outdoor ring could be finished in time for a May 5 mega fight.
“They said they needed to the end of May to get it done,” Arum said.
Arum said he is now looking at a possible November showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather.
“The fight is not going to happen,” he told Sports Illustrated. “We will do the fight in November. There is no real magic in doing it in May.”
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told Agence France-Presse last week that a later date in Dallas, Texas or Dubai would be a better option for the mega showdown.
“Dallas would be the best place to put on that fight in the US because you could get 100,000 people in Cowboys Stadium but Dubai is the best moneywise,” Roach said.
Arum didn’t say when he would name Pacquiao’s next opponent but Timothy Bradley, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez and Lamont Peterson have all been mentioned as possibilities.
Mayweather and Pacquiao previously saw a fight derailed by the US fighter’s demands about blood testing, with both boxers accusing the other of running scared.
