By Chris Mannix, SI.com
Manny Pacquiao has reached an agreement to defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey on March 13, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told SI.com.
Pacquiao, who has been involved in contentious negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the past month, abandoned negotiations with Mayweather on Wednesday and has been actively seeking other opponents. Among the opponents that were considered were Juan Manuel Marquez, Yuri Foreman and Michael Katsidis.
Arum says Pacquiao-Clottey will likely be held at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. A delegation from Top Rank will fly to Texas this weekend to finalize an agreement with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
"We're on the same page," Arum said.
The contracts will be signed by Pacquiao and Clottey sometime next week. Pacquiao is currently training in the Philippines while Clottey is traveling to the U.S. from Africa and will arrive on Tuesday.
Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), a Ghana transplant and Bronx native, last fought in a controversial split-decision loss to Miguel Cotto on June 13 at Madison Square Garden. That fight was for Cotto's WBO welterweight title, which the Puerto Rican surrendered to Pacquaio in November.
Representatives for Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) pronounced the Mayweather negotiations dead Wednesday after a last-ditch mediation session with retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein in Santa Monica, Calif., failed to yield any resolution.
But Mayweather released a statement Thursday expressing hope the fight could be salvaged.
"Throughout this whole process I have remained patient, but at this point I am thoroughly disgusted that Pacquiao and his representatives are trying to blame me for the fight not happening when clearly the blame is on them. Mayweather said. "I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight."
Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com
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