In a media teleconference conducted at about 3 am Eastern Time, Bob Arum addressed the media regarding the status of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and the Arum-imposed deadline for negotiations. Here are the bullet points from the 50-minute press conference:
* Arum revealed that there were no direct negotiations between Top Rank and Team Mayweather: “I don’t want there to be any impression that I ever, ever talked with Haymon or Mayweather.”
* All communications between camps were conducted through Ross Greenburg of HBO, but no formal negotiations had taken place and details were not hammered out definitively.
* Golden Boy was not at all involved in any talks and Arum was not even aware if they had been informed of any conversations. Arum assumed that Golden Boy knew something when Oscar De la Hoya was quoted on a Spanish-language TV show that negotiations were close to being finalized.
* Negotiations will now begin with representatives of Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto and a deal, one way or the other, should be reached within 10 days.
* A Mayweather fight is still on the table if talks can be established before a deal with either Margarito or Cotto is finalized.
* If Margarito is chosen, the fight will be held at either the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or in Monterrey, Mexico, depending on whether Margarito can be reinstated in time.
* If Cotto is chosen, the fight will take place at either the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
* Timothy Bradley and Paul Williams were ruled out as potential opponents because of “their lack of a following” and Arum’s reluctance in giving a “free ride” to making other promoters’ fighters big names.
Overall, Arum had a conciliatory tone to his voice and speculated that the pending legal proceedings in an assault case involving Floyd’s trainer and uncle, Roger, were holding up Floyd’s willingness to commit to a November date. He related the situation to how Pacquiao would feel if Freddie Roach would not be available to train him for a fight of such magnitude. Arum, at one point even said, “I don’t think any of you guys should be too harsh on Floyd…the situations with the uncle has an effect.”
