Pacquiao v Mayweather, Haye v Klitschko, Khan against either Hatton or Mitchell – there’s no doubt that boxing could be shaping up for another truly remarkable year.
And while the sport’s top promoters finalise deals for the blockbuster battles, the gloves are off in the fight to stage the lucrative shows.
Manny Paquiao’s pound-for-pound showdown with Pretty Boy Floyd is the star attraction, the jewel in the money-making merry-go-round, and there is a three-way scrap to win the rights to stage what could be the fight of the century.
Jerry Jones, who owns NFL powerhouse the Dallas Cowboys, has already bid $25million to host the super-fight. His new $1.5billion stadium at Arlington has a capacity which exceeds 100,000 and that intrigues Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum.
‘I’m saying Dallas is a real live possibility and I have a responsibility to manny to get him as much money as possible,’ said Arum, who will press Jones for an even bigger outlay.
‘I know we can get the greatest offe rin history from the Texas stadium. My position is whoever has the greatest offer for those two fighters, that’s where I want the deal.’
Golden Boy Promotions, who represent Mayweather, prefer the more traditional venue of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as it boasts the added bonus of being on their boxer’s doorsteps as well as being in the gambling mecca with all the attractions offered by the Strip.
The venue is nowehere near as big but closed-circuit television sales could reap more than $25m but that’s not a certainty and Arum added: ‘I’m offering my fighter $25m. I ain’t going for pie in the skiy on this.’
Bids from the Superdome in New Orleans, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the NBA’s LA Lakers and Yankee Stadium in New York have already fallen by the wayside because of tax laws in their relevant states.
David Haye, meanwhile, wants to unify the world heavyweight scene by fighting Vitali Klitschko at Wembley while a welterweight showdown between Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton could be staged at either the Reebok Stadium in Bolton or at Eastlands, home of The Hitman’s beloved Manchester City.
If Khan (pictured) opts to defend his WBA light-welterweight belt against Kevin Mitchell the West Ham fan would love his challenge to be witnessed by a bumper 30,000 crowd at Upton Park.
Top British promoter Frank Warren has his eyes on a big title fight being staged at the Emirates. A long-term Arsenal supporter, Warren was at Highbury to watch Henry Cooper’s unsuccessful challnge for Muhammad Ali’s world heavyweight crown in May, 1966.
And Warren admitted he would love to stage a must-see summer show at the Gunners’ 60,000-seat stadium.
‘I spoke to [former Arsenal director] Ken Friar, he’s a mate of mine, and we tried to do something at Highbury but we couldn’t because of the residents,’ Warren revealed.
‘But at the Emirates? Of course I would love to although it would be a very expensive exercise. I have managed heavyweight champions and some of the very best British fighters but what I really weant to do, and one of the boxes I want to tick, is to promote a big fight at my club.’
Texas Stadium, Eastlands, the Emirates and Wembley – boxing could be moving into the most exciting of new eras to start the new decade.
