ARUM IN CRUCIAL MEETING WITH PACQUIAO TODAY

CEBU CITY -- Hall of Fame boxing promoter and Top Rank President Bob Arum, who arrived in the Philippines early Thursday morning from Las Vegas, will have a crucial meeting with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao today in Manila. Arum is trying to close the highly anticipated Pacquiao-Mayweather fight by personally coming to the country. Pacquiao, who filed his certificate of candidacy Tuesday as a congressman in Sarangani for the May 10, 2010 elections, is currently in General Santos and will arrive Manila this afternoon (Thursday morning Pacific time).

Earlier reports indicate that Floyd Mayweather Jnr, who was represented by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer in the negotiations, had agreed to terms to fight Pacquiao, a fight that is expected to set new pay-per-view records that the prospect of it being made had catapulted boxing back into the mainstream consciousness with a buzz never before seen since the Ali-Frazier-Norton-Foreman and the Leonard-Duran-Hearns-Hagler eras.

The parties in the negotiating table, according to reports, were looking at a May 1, 2010 fight date but with Pacquiao making good his promise to run in the May 10 Philippine elections, the fight had to be pushed earlier to March 13, 2010. Pacquiao's lawyer Jeng Gacal, however, had earlier issued a statement to Philippine Star, which he confirmed to Pacquiao confidante Wakee Salud this morning, that Pacquiao had said "there will be no fight" before the May 10 elections.

"If Pacquiao will not fight Mayweather in March or May, Mayweather will fight Shane Mosley next," Salud, who is with Arum at the Rennaisance Hotel in Manila today, told PhilBoxing.com. The Mayweather-Mosley fight of course will happen only if Mosley wins his fight with Andre Berto on Jan. 30 in Las Vegas. "And there's no guarantee that Mayweather will beat Mosley," Salud said.

"Suppose Mosley wins over Mayweather, a Pacquiao-Mosley fight is not as big as Pacquiao-Mayweather fight," Salud continued. "And everyone will miss the 'Fight of the Century'."

That leaves 77-year-old Arum, who had staged some of the biggest fights in boxing, to wave his magic on the political aspirant from Sarangani to agree to a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather Jnr before the May 10 Philippine elections in a crucial meeting later today in Manila.

Meanwhile the world is holding its breath.

Bob Arum to meet with Manny Pacquiao over election's affect on Floyd Mayweather fight date

Photo: Manny Pacquiao, with his wife, Jinky, shows off his the certificate of candidacy for congress that he filed at the provincial capitol in Sarangani, Philippines. Credit: Associated Press

Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, will be making a trip to the Philippines tonight so he can discuss the boxer's participation in a Congressional election in the country and how it will affect a potential fight date against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Arum said this evening that an opponent will run against the world champion boxer in the May 10 election, which will force Pacquiao to campaign extensively in the province of Sarangani in the weeks preceding the election. Mayweather, Arum and several others attempting to negotiate a potential fight would like the bout to occur on May 1. An alternate date of March 13 has been discussed but it's viewed as too early in the year to properly promote a fight of its magnitude.

Arum wants to get a firm handle on how Pacquiao's schedule and training will be impacted by his election campaign. Pacquiao routinely works with trainer Freddie Roach for eight weeks before a bout.

Pacquiao-Mayweather fight nearly finalized

The much-anticipated bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is all but set for March 13, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

Mayweather has agreed to terms and promoter Bob Arum is making a trip to Manila, Philippines, to finalize a deal with Pacquiao, the source said.

Las Vegas, Dallas and New Orleans are the front-runners to host the bout, which is expected to become the highest-grossing boxing match in the sport’s history.

Pacquiao is the top pound-for-pound fighter in nearly every major ranking, including Yahoo! Sports. Mayweather is No. 2 in most rankings and was No. 1 in nearly all of the polls before he briefly retired in June 2008.

Pacquiao is coming off a 12th-round stoppage of Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, a bout in which he won the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship and erased fears that he is not a legitimate welterweight.

Cotto was a legitimate welterweight in his prime and Pacquiao dominated, knocking him down twice and cruising to the one-sided victory.

Mayweather routed Juan Manuel Marquez, who had previously been ranked No. 2 in the Yahoo! Sports poll, in a Sept. 19 fight at the MGM Grand.

The public demand for the fight has been enormous, putting pressure on Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who represents Mayweather, to get a deal done.

Promoters had targeted May 1 for the fight almost from the moment that Pacquiao stopped Cotto. But Pacquiao filed Tuesday to run for Congress in the Philippines and the election will be held on May 10.

Given that, the bout with Mayweather had to be moved up to March 13 or pushed back until September.

Though there were reports that Arum was considering matching Pacquiao with new WBO super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman on March 13 in Dallas, that was a diversionary move and was never serious, the source said.

A survey team from Top Rank will inspect Dallas Cowboys Stadium as a possible venue. The MGM Grand Garden Arena and the New Orleans Superdome are also in the running to host the mega-fight, the source said.

Yes Man, Pacman

As you read this, a soon to turn age 78 year old named Robert Arum is piling up the frequent flyer miles from Las Vegas to Manila.

The Top Rank Top Dog isn’t going to the Philippines to discuss Sarangani local politics with Manny Pacquiao.

And he's not to extend sympathy because Sports Illustrated tabbed Yankees superstar Derek Jeter as Sportsman of the Year over the more deserving National Fist.

He’s going to see his star client with a firm deal in hand for Pacman to face undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. on March 13 in a Las vegas mega bout.

Forget the smokescreens about Pacman fighting junior middleweight champ and rabbinical student Yuri Foreman. And ditto for the one about Mayweather going to Manchester to beat up Matthew Hilton.

Arum has what he feels is a fair and viable deal in hand and he will present to Pacman for a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

If Pacquiao is amenable, septuagenarian Arum might even seal the big deal before his Dec. 8 bithday and well before Dec. 17, when Megamanny turns age 31.

They used to say, “Don’t trust anyone over 30” back in the New Age, Woodstock Generation but promoter and fighter have come to trust each other as they have piled up millions of dollars in tandem in recent Pacquiao bouts, victories all for the Pinoy Idol.

It’s an easy guess that, at least publicly, the revenue split will be said to be 50-50 and I feel that is fair to both sides. Mayweather is unbeaten, he is an American fighting in his homeland and he used to occupy the Pound For Pound throne which now belongs to Pacman.

The working date is March 13 and, again, I totally discount Texas Stadium.

What happens in Vegas won’t stay there when casino operators work together to land this whopper, this once in a generation mega fight.

When Vegas steps up, it will be, “Fumble, Jerry Jones, fumble Cowboys!”

Fight fans won’t have to beware the Ides of March, instead they will embrace it for the Biggest fight That Can Possibly Be Made is coming to fruition.

What say you, Megamanny?

The money is right, the legacy is there for the taking.

In this case, I hope Pacquiao does like Jim Carrey in that movie.

I hope Pacquiao is a “Yes Man.”

Arum lands in Manila bearing an offer, Manny, that you can’t refuse.

It's your move now, Manny.