A deal has been accomplished in favor of boxing’s biggest fight of the fall: A showdown relating pound-for-pound queen Manny Pacquiao and welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao and Cotto, two of boxing’s well-liked and crowd-pleasing boxers, are going to meet at the MGM Grand in the field of Las Vegas on Nov. 14 (HBO PPV), Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.Com on Monday.
“It’s done,” said Arum, who was back at work in his Las Vegas office after a vacation in London and Italy and attending a wedding in Israel. “While I was away I reached a verbal agreement with each side. Pacquiao committed to the fight this weekend and Cotto the week before while I was in Israel. I was on the phone all the time trying to get this done.”
Michael Heitner is now preparing the documents for signatures according to Arum.
“But everything is agreed or I wouldn’t say what I am saying,” Arum said. “The weight, the percentages, the guarantees — it’s all agreed to.”
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) will receive more than 50 percent of the money. Yet the percentage split was not disclosed. But what really delays the showdown is the contract weight.
Pacquio preferred to fight with weight from 130 (or as low as possible) to 144 weight limit thus he asked Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), a titleholder at 147 pounds to fight with him at 143 weight limit, but Cotto’s trainer said he couldn’t safely fight below 145. Thus both parties decided to fight at 145.
Set their desire in favor of all-action fights, Arum thought he had high expectations that Cotto and Pacquiao would create another remarkable fight.
“I’m really excited because it’s a real fight. These are two real warriors,” Arum said. “Whichever way this fight goes, I think it’s going to be a classic because of the way these guys fight. There will be a lot of engagement. They’re great fighters. Cotto and Pacquiao are gutty guys. If you want blood and action and excitement, this is the fight.”
Arum said tickets would go on sale in late August followed by a three-city press tour.
“I want to get it done the week after Labor Day so I don’t interfere with the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight,” he said. “I don’t want [Golden Boy Promotions] saying I jumped them.”
Arum said the tentative tour schedule would come about Sept. 9 in Los Angeles, Sept. 10 in New York and Sept. 12 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Eliza Beth is a full time freelance writer from Philippines, for more info please visit her profile @ http://hubpages.com/profile/regality.
