MANILA, Philippines ? Staging the colossal Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight at the MGM Grand on May 5 makes no sense at all, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said Sunday.
?You have to maximize (the earning potential),? Arum told the Bulletin from his Las Vegas home, noting that the most that they can generate will be between $15 million to $18 million if the fight ends up at the 18,000-seat Grand Garden Arena.
Arum said a temporary arena being eyed to be built on the Las Vegas strip can lure in as much as 45,000, guaranteeing a larger gate receipt amounting to as high as $40 million.
?We?re going to lose $20 million (if the fight is held at the MGM Grand),? said Arum.
Hotel and casino magnates Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson, according to Arum, are amenable to seeing the construction of a makeshift site for top-of-the-line title fights and concerts that can host Pacquiao-Mayweather for November this year.
Arum said Mayweather is fighting ?somebody else? in May and it wouldn?t be Pacquiao, who is being eyed to make his return to the ring on June 9 or June 16 against a foe yet to be named.
Four names are being looked at ? Tim Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Lamont Peterson and Miguel Cotto ? and Arum will be presenting the proposals to Pacquiao when he arrives in Manila on Tuesday morning.
Talks over the mouth-watering Pacquiao-Mayweather match became news once again after a Nevada judge ruled that the unbeaten American fighter can fulfil his contractual obligations to fight on May 5 at the MGM Grand before serving his 90-day prison term in June.
Interviewed by the Bulletin hours after learning of the decision to defer Mayweather?s jail term, Pacquiao said he was happy that Mayweather will be able to fight in May but cautioned that it won?t be easy to pair them together right away.
?That?s a better match,? said Pacquiao, referring to a clash with the brash Mayweather.
?But the question now is if we can agree,? said Pacquiao, who has actually given in to two of Mayweather?s demands, Olympic-style drug testing and a smaller share of the revenue.
