Dela Hoya: "Megafight is almost a done deal" -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

In a shocking revelation, Oscar De La Hoya, whose promotional outfit represents Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the negotiations to stage a November 13 fight with Manny Pacquiao, told the Spanish TV station Univision that the superfight is close to being done.

"Up until now, it’s been a very difficult negotiation process for various reasons but right now we’re very close,” De La Hoya said in Spanish and translated by fight scribe John Chavez of boxingtruth.com.

The interview took place before the Game Four of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles and De La Hoya, who heads Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), added that “we’re very close in finalizing the contracts that were once very complicated.”

Since there is no other fight to make but pit Pacquiao and Mayweather together, De La Hoya said “the two fighters now realize that this fight must be made.”

“It has to be made because the boxing fans want to see it happen and right now it’s the biggest fight that can be made in the world,” said De La Hoya, who lost to Mayweather by decision in 2007 and to Pacquiao when he quit on his stool in 2008.

“I think right now we are very, very close in finalizing the contracts. I can’t talk right now in detail about the negotiations but I will say that we are very close,” added De La Hoya.

The past several weeks, the camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather have been mum about the status of talks regarding the fight.

The issue of random drug-testing and purse split are the talking points in the negotiations.

Source: mb.com.ph