Vegas wants Pacquiao-Mayweather event

While big-time boxing promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer had come up to some negotiations in ironing out a deal for a 2010 mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., officials in Las Vegas, Nevada are scrambling to keep the showdown in their state. A possible Pacquiao-Mayweather event would likely be the largest-grossing boxing match in history. Predictions for the pay-per-view sales alone have reached as high as 5 million.

The pride of the Philippines, Pacquiao, is the top-ranked fighter in most sports rating of the world's best boxers with Mayweather, of course, in 2nd. Both fighters are in their prime, Pacman is 30 and Pretty Boy is 31, and both fights at welterweight.

Pacquiao, who is 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts and holds the World Boxing Organization welterweight title, has been named the Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2006 and 2008 and is almost certain to win it in 2009. Mayweather, who is 40-0 with 25 knockouts, was the BWAA’s Fighter of the Year in 2007.

Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, and Schaefer, on behalf of Mayweather, met in Las Vegas on Monday and agreed not to speak to the media.

The majority of the most lucrative boxing matches in the past 15 years have been held in Las Vegas either at the MGM Grand Garden Arena or the Mandalay Bay Events Center, both of which are owned by MGM Mirage. Officials of MGM Mirage would be interested in the fight and would likely be the frontrunner to land it for the MGM Grand if the bout is made.

Though Las Vegas has landed the majority of the major boxing shows in recent years, interest from venues outside Las Vegas in acquiring a Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight is very high. Arum has received inquiries from many venues, including New Orleans, and Democratic political strategist James Carville has phoned Arum about trying to broker a deal to bring the fight to the Superdome in New Orleans.

One advantage Las Vegas officials will have in landing the bout is that Mayweather resides in the city and Pacquiao has fought his last six fights, and nine of his last 12, there.