MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Manny Pacquiao has verified that another round of negotiations with Floyd Mayweather are ongoing for a superfight in early 2012.
In a press conference in General Santos City, Pacquaio stated the talks were in preliminary stages and being handled through his promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum.
“Negotiations are ongoing for my fight with Mayweather, but nothing is final,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News.
Pacquiao won a highly controversial majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12. While Arum said immediately following the verdict that he wanted a fourth Marquez fight in May 2012, fans and media have pushed for Pacquiao to answer Mayweather’s public proposal to fight on May 5 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. Pacquiao theorized that his struggles with Marquez, a fighter Mayweather dominated in a 2009 encounter, is the reason Mayweather is now pushing for the much-delayed showdown.
“Mayweather may be thinking, I can fight Pacquiao now because he had trouble against Marquez and I was able to beat Marquez,” Pacquiao explained. “This is what the boxing fans have been waiting for.”
At press time, Arum nor Mayweather have commented on the latest negotiations.
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