Pacquiao promoter: 50-50 split with Mayweather a must

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An email to an ESPN anchor believed to be sent by Floyd Mayweather Jr. clarified a Wednesday night telephone conversation between Mayweather and his possible opponent Manny Pacquiao, with the emailer maintaining that Pacquiao’s hopes for a 50-50 split in a super-fight ‘can’t happen.’

If that stance is true, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, said Friday that the fight can’t happen.

Arum, contending that Pacquiao draws more pay-per-view fans, more fans to the arena and has a proven track record to bring more high-rollers to Las Vegas from international locales, said Pacquiao was ‘content’ to split the pot equally, but in no way deserves to take less.

ESPN reported earlier Friday that Mayweather had emailed anchor Stan Verrett to expand upon what transpired in his phone conversation with Pacquiao.

ESPN.com quoted the email as saying, ‘I called him and asked him about us fighting May 5 and giving the World what they want to see. I also let him know we both can make a lot of money. He asked about a 50/50 split and I told him no that can’t happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me then you have made in your career. I also let him know I’m in control on my side but he needs to get on the same page with his promoter so we can make this fight happen.

‘I told him to tell his promoter that he only wants to fight Mayweather and that this fight will be the biggest fight in history. His [manager, Michael Koncz] came to my boxing gym a few months ago and we spoke about getting the defamation of character lawsuit dropped against me and about both fighters taking the random blood and urine test. I spoke to his manager again last night about the same thing. The call last night lasted 15 or 20 minutes. I mainly spoke to his manager, he got on and off the phone real quick.’

Arum said if Mayweather’s adamant on the position of requiring more than 50%, the promoter will likely announce next week a late-spring date for Pacquiao (likely June 9) against an opponent from a field that includes Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez or Lamont Peterson.

Pacquiao this week told Arum which of the four he’d like to fight if making the Mayweather bout again proves impossible. Arum, at this point, is declining to reveal the name of the alternate fighter.

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--Lance Pugmire