Super fight easier than expected to make

By John Whisler - Express-News

So much for tough negotiations.

Getting Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to agree to fight each other was supposed to be a task bordering on the impossible. Sort of like Democrats and Republicans settling on health care reform.

Or worse.

With the egos involved, conventional wisdom said they'd never agree on the purse. One — or both — would surely demand more than a 50-50 split.

And surely there would be other problems. Such as, which fighter would take top billing?

But sanity apparently won out. And it took only a couple of weeks to happen.

The fight many are calling the richest in decades — and biggest since the classic battles featuring Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler of the 1980s — apparently is on after Pacquiao signed a contract Friday, according to published reports.

Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, met for two hours over breakfast in Manila on Friday to discuss the fight.

There apparently were some minor adjustments sought by Pacquiao and, once those were made, Pacquiao later in the day inked the deal.

Mayweather previously had agreed to terms with Golden Boy Promotions, his promoter for the HBO Pay-Per-View fight, but it is unknown if he actually has signed a contract.

The bout reportedly will take place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for Pacquiao's WBO title.

Some other interesting details have been revealed. One is a 50-50 split of the money, perhaps the most shocking of all.

But with the fight expected to eclipse the all-time record for PPV sales — Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya registered 2.44 million buys in 2007 — many experts are predicting each fighter could pocket $40 million or more.

It's hard to get too greedy with that kind of cash staring you in the face.

Also, both fighters apparently will wear 8-ounce gloves, but each fighter will be allowed to select the brand.

As for the marquees, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao, according to ESPN.com, but Arum's Top Rank will receive top billing over Golden Boy throughout the promotion.

The only hint of bad news here is the media tour. Apparently, there won't be one.

Promoters and HBO wanted the fight on May 1, but because Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in the Philippines, that date could have created a conflict between his training and the campaign.

Thus, March 13 was chosen.

But because of the earlier date, promoters felt there wasn't time to do a full-scale media tour to promote the fight.

This is too bad, because San Antonio might have been included on that tour.

Instead, there will only be a single news conference in New York during the second week of January.

Once Mayweather signs, the only major detail left to be finalized is the site.

The negotiations there could be tougher than they were for the fight itself.

Lesson learned? Maybe Pacquiao was driven to the bargaining table by what happened to Roy Jones Jr.

Wednesday, Jones was knocked out in the first round by Danny Green, sinking Jones' already-signed and long-awaited rematch with Bernard Hopkins.

Pacquiao, and Mayweather, too, for that matter, had talked of taking an interim fight before facing each other.

JOHN WHISLER'S VIEW FROM THE CORNER

Opening flurry

S.A. duo off to Russia: A local boxer and coach will represent the United States at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries boxing competition Dec. 17-20 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.

Bantamweight Adam Lopez and Edward Rivas, coach of the U.S. Air Force team based at Lackland AFB, were named to the U.S. squad that will compete against elite boxers from 10 other countries.

Lopez, a senior at Highlands High School, has won multiple national titles, including the recent National Police Athletic League Championships at Municipal Auditorium.

He will be joined on the U.S. team by seven other boxers, including Errol Spence of DeSoto, the 2009 national champion welterweight.

Joining Rivas as coaches are Tom Moraetes (Augusta, Ga.) and Robert Luna (Commerce, Calif.).

Straight shots

Chavez tests positive: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. faces a fine and suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, ESPN.com is reporting.

Chavez, 23, the son of Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic, following his Nov. 14 victory over Troy Rowland.

According to a complaint filed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Chavez faces a suspension of up to nine months and a fine of up to $100,000.

Vazquez-Marquez IV: Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez have already given us a classic trilogy. They will square off for a fourth time on May 22 at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Showtime.

Diaz rematch: The Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi rematch is set for Saturday at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on HBO. Diaz, a native of Houston, won the first bout on a controversial decision in August in Houston.

Chavez returns: Austin lightweight Jesus Chavez is facing a tough challenge Dec. 19 when he meets Humberto Soto on a split site pay-per-view card in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.

Local notebook

LBCs: The 2009 LBC Senior Championships run Friday-Sunday at the Antioch Sports Complex on the East Side.

First bell is 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Sunday’s session is tentative, depending on the number of registrations.

Male and female open and novice boxers age 17-34 are eligible to compete in novice and open divisions.

Admission is $8 per session.

Amateur MMA: Texas Fight Fest 16 is set for Saturday night at Cowboys Dancehall.

The eight-bout, amateur mixed martial arts card begins at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5.

Featured fighters include San Antonians C.J. Vergara, flyweight; Bubba Martinez, middleweight; and Chris Lopez, cruiserweight.

Also, Richard Smith, an instructor at Lackland AFB, is scheduled to take on Houston police officer Jason Williamson in a light heavyweight match.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $35 for cageside.

Source: mysanantonio.com