Pacquiao, Mayweather discuss fight over the phone

As their promoters continue to play hard-to-get, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather took it upon themselves to try to remove the kinks that are keeping them from agreeing on a super fight in May or June.

Intent in landing a megabuck matchup with Pacquiao on May 5, Mayweather reached out to the Filipino ring icon on Thursday afternoon, urging him to agree to a fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao said in a TV interview late Thursday that he is willing to face Mayweather provided they split the earnings 50-50.

Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser Mike Koncz said the conversation “lasted for about two minutes.”

The move by Mayweather was welcome news to a key member of Team Pacquiao, lawyer Franklin Gacal.

Gacal said the fact that the two talked to each other raises hope that the fight everyone is waiting for can still take place.

The past few days, Pacquiao’s promoter Top Rank and Mayweather’s camp have been trading accusations about the other’s reluctance to get into the ring.

Pacquiao did not make it clear if he is willing to fight Mayweather on May 5. Pacman’s camp wants the bout either in late May or early June so it can be staged in a bigger venue.

Promoter Bob Arum wants to put up a makeshift stadium that can seat 38,000, much bigger than the MGM Grand which can accommodate18,000.

“The date won’t be the deal-breaker in case this fight doesn’t take place,” said Gacal, who said there is a 50-50 chance that the fight will happen.

Mayweather said he is legally bound to fight on May 5 because his 90-day jail term for domestic battery that begins June 1 was specifically suspended by the judge so he can face Pacquiao on that date.

If the deal fizzles out, both camps have back-up plans: Mayweather takes on either Sergio Martinez of Argentina or Saul Alvarez of Mexico on May 5 and Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto or Tim Bradley on June 9.

But Gacal said “the date is the least of our concerns.”

Some of the major roadblocks to the fight have been cleared after Pacquiao agreed to an Olympic-style drug testing and Mayweather has found a group – Golden Boy Promotions – to give his guaranteed purse.

Pacquiao, 54-3 with two drawn and 32 knockouts, has won his past 15 fights over a span of nearly seven years while Mayweather is 42-0 with 26 knockouts.

(By Nick Giongco with a report from AFP)