Mayweather-Pacquiao venue issue turns into a complete bore

CHICAGO—Frankly, I’m getting a tad bored with the where-will-Floyd-Mayweather-fight-Manny-Pacquiao speculation.

It’s going to wind up in Mayweather’s backyard of Las Vegas and there is no real reason for the Pacman camp to object to it. Manny and Floyd have both cashed in big time at the MGM Grand in the past and, all other things being equal, that’s where the fight will land.

I checked with Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission Thursday afternoon and he said he was not surpised that the March 13 date has not been applied for as yet.

“My understanding is they working on the venue,” Kizer said. “Then they would ask us to put on the agenda for our next commission meeting which is likely set for January 8. There should be no problem."

The commission meeting date ties in nicely with the planned January 11 New York City press conference which should be just massive.

Mayweather has no intention or interest in going to the glitzy Dallas Cowboys’ playpen they like to call “Jerry’s World.”

Look, keep this is mind. Richie Rich Schaefer is merely Mayweather’s agent. So that means he gets his marching orders directly from Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe. They supposedly get theirs from L’il Floyd himself.

I spoke to a guy who regularly does business with Golden Boy Thursday and he informed me that, a week ago, Schaefer told him he was going to Dallas to tour Jerry Jones’ stadium and talk turkey with the NFL team owner about doing the mega bout there where up to 100,000 fans could be accommodated.

“That was last week,” this man said. “Something happened this week and the best guess is that the Mayweather camp put the complete kibosh on Texas. It has nothing to do with it being an outdoor arena because it’s only al fresco when they raise the roof. “

I placed a couple of calls to Mr. Jones about the situation Thursday but got no reply.

Another non-starter is the AEG-owned Staples Center in Los Angeles, a great venue for boxing to be sure but located in a financially imperiled state and one which would put a huge tax bite, in the area of $5 million, on Manny and Floyd.

And could anyone expect Gov. Schwarznegger to get on the bandwagon given the budgetary problems California is facing?

When teachers are being fired and vital public services are being trimmed and trimmed again due to huge revenue shortfalls, I don’t see Terminator Arnie saying, “This boxing match is the magic answer for all of our Golden State money ills!”

Another source said that, unlike maverick Arum who takes fight shows to New York and elsewhere in addition to Vegas, Golden Boy is under a moral if not a legal obligation to try to deliver this plum of plums promotion to the MGM Grand Mirage group.

Fair is fair. These guys provided a home for Sugar Shane Mosley-Andre Berto and many other not-so-scintillating attractions. They wouldn’t like to get completely kicked to the curb if they can come in with a reasonable package deal for Floyd versus Manny.

Venue, schemnue…let’s get on with it, fellas.

A ring is a ring is a ring.