The Top Rank Inc. CEO said he had conversations with CBS executive Leslie Moonves who reportedly had talks with his counterparts in HBO regarding the mega bout.
It looks like the TV networks are working it out to make sure that the fight gets done next year.
“I've had a number of meetings with the chairman of the board of CBS, Leslie Moonves and he's reported back to me about his meeting with Mayweather camp,” Arum told ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo.
“We're getting very, very close, I can't reveal anything, I am really optimistic that we'll get this fight done for first 6 months of 2015.”
“The optimism is justified because I'm not talking to some low level guy... I'm talking to the chairman of the board of CBS, whose had conversation with HBO... all signs for me, it's going to be a go.”
But Pacquiao’s coach is not so optimistic.
Freddie Roach said the bout should have happened a couple of years ago.
"I hope it's true, but I don't see it happening. I don't see it," Roach said in ESPN.com. "It's been three to four years. It should have happened by now. What makes it different this time?”
He added that Pacquiao is bound to hurt Chris Algieri this Sunday and this, he believe, will further scare Mayweather.
“If Manny looks good against Algieri, it will make Mayweather say no even more, so I just laugh at all this. Negotiating the money alone won't happen. They'll never agree on the split Mayweather wants. There's a lot of work to be done, and I don't think it's possible," said Roach.
Arum admitted that Mayweather will have to say “yes” for the multimillion-dollar bout to actually happen.
If it doesn’t push through, Arum said he will meet with Pacquiao’s team to discuss their next move.
“I hope the Mayweather fight does happen... that's the fight we've been looking at for 5 years so it's about time that we make it happen. I hope we make it happen for next year, if not I'll meet with Manny, Freddie and Michael and we'll figure out what we're gonna do,” he said.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
