Mayweather-Pacquiao site chosen, deal moves on

Boxing fans could have their biggest gift for 2010 wrapped up with a red bow and under their trees before Christmas (next Saturday).

That’s the optimistic word from Manny Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, speaking by phone just before his Kelly Pavlik middleweight title fight PPV card began Saturday night in Youngstown, Ohio.

One small caveat, here for fight fans who are licking their chops to see undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. climb into the ring with Pacman on March 13.

The site, Arum said, has been selected although he refused to tip his hand as to whether it will be the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas or Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones’ spectacular new football playpen in Arlington, Tx.

“They have selected a site,” Arum said, referring to his stepson and Top Rank president Todd duBoef on the Pacquiao side and Richard Schaefer repping Mayweather on the other. “But I can’t say a word other than that.”

Arum said the nuts and bolts of the bout contract are in place but that details have to be fleshed out and then the agreement has to be properly reduced to writing by lawyers.

“This is a huge, huge, big money deal and it takes time,” Arum said.

Arum said there are no important matters of dispute which could wreck the mega bout deal.

Arum said the site will likely be announced at some point in the coming week.

A New York City press conference will be held Jan. 6 followed by one in Los Angeles on Jan.8.

“After that, the fighters can get to work at their training camps,” Arum said.

Arum said he thinks Mayweather will train at his own gym in Las Vegas and that a U.S. training base is being explored for Pacman.

Arum said Pacman will not launch his training in Baguio or elsewhere in the Philippines. With the new calendar year about to begin, the Pinoy Idol is not concerned about getting heavily taxed for training in this country.

“We’re working on a site for Manny in the U.S.,” Arum said.

We can assume if Vegas was chosen over the $25 million offer by Jones that the MGM Grand Mirage guys dug deep into their corporate coffers to land the big fight.