Pacquiao-Mayweather set to go ahead

An official announcement of a Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao fight is expected to come next week after a venue for the world welterweight title fight is decided, according to Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum.

"I'm very optimistic that everything will come together and we'll have an announcement by next Monday," Arum told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday (NZT).

"I think it's going to be the biggest fight of all time, certainly from a revenue standpoint. It could gross a couple of hundred million (US dollars)."

The pair are considered the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world.

American Mayweather, who has won titles at five different weight classes, has a 40-0 record. Filipino Pacquiao improved to 50-3-2 when he became the first to win titles in seven classes when he stopped Miguel Cotto last month to win the WBO welterweight crown.

Arum said both fighters were on board for a March 13 clash that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars and become the biggest ever boxing promotion.

"We don't want to do an official announcement until we know where the fight's going to be held," said Arum. "That's what we're exploring this week.

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"Tomorrow we'll be in Dallas visiting with (NFL Dallas Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones at Cowboys Stadium and hopefully by Monday of next week we'll have a venue and a deal in place.

"I know that Jerry Jones has really worked on the possibility and that's why we're meeting with him tomorrow."

The new $US1.3 billion Cowboys Stadium seats about 73,000.

Arum said there were other contenders to host the bout.

"There's the MGM in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, that is the only possibility because the outdoor stadium will not work in March.

"We have heard but haven't really explored the (Louisiana) Superdome in New Orleans and the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.