If the fight to stage Mayweather-Pacquiao is anything to go by, then it is going to be one hell of a clash.
Negotiations between the two camps began on Monday and Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, has revealed that Texas and New Orleans are battling it out with Las Vegas to put on the superfight.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to have the showdown in his brand, spanking new 80,000-seat stadium in Arlington, Texas, while New Orleans are offering the 70,000-seat Louisiana Superdome.
Vegas is Arum's preferred option and he has challenged the big casinos on The Strip to come up with the cash to make it happen.
"A lot of places want to host it," said Arum. "But for tax purposes, you have to have it in either Nevada or Texas, where there is no state income tax. That's why we probably couldn't have it in New York or New Jersey.
"There's talk that the governor might waive the tax for this fight if it went to New Orleans. But he'd have to do that for it to have any chance of happening there."
Pacquiao's clash with world pound-for-pound king Mayweather will be the richest fight in history and Arum is determined to wring every last dime out of the contest.
The MGM Grand Garden may not be big enough with a capacity of just 16,200, while Vegas' biggest venue is the 20,000-seater Thomas and Mack Center just off The Strip.
This has prompted Arum to consider building a 30,000-seater temporary arena on the site formerly occupied by the Frontier across from the Wynn.
Arum has brought in PR consultant Sig Rogich to look into the project and has talked to Steve Wynn about being part of the promotion.
"We want to do everything we can to bring this fight to Las Vegas," Rogich said. "We want to look at whatever makes good economic and logistic sense.
"The town needs it, and the promoters want it here. I think the casinos realize this is one of those united-we-stand, divided-we-fall moments, and I believe they will work together to bring the fight to Las Vegas."
Arum met Mayweather's promoter Golden Boy chief Richard Schaefer on Monday and although he would not go into detail, he is confident the fight will happen in May.
"There's really not much I can say," he said. "We had one meeting, it was a good meeting, and we'll talk again over the next few days."
Source: mirror.co.uk
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