Promoter Bob Arum flew Wednesday to the Philippines with a proposed contract for a March 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The contract was agreed to by Mayweather's representatives, but the boxer has yet to sign. Arum was to present the proposal to Pacquiao, but there are no guarantees he will agree. Still, the fact Arum would make the trip to the Philippines to try and get his fighter to sign for the bout was an indication that the megafight was moving forward. It would match the two fighters regarded as the best pound-for-pound in the world in a bout at 66.7 kilograms (147 pounds). The fight was originally projected for May, but Pacquiao's candidacy for Congress in the Philippines forced promoters to move it forward to March. The Philippine national elections are in May, and Pacquiao wanted to be at home to campaign. Promoters for both fighters had agreed to a blackout on negotiations for the bout, so no one would comment on the record. A person close to the promotion spoke on terms his identity would remain confidential. If the fight is made, there would likely be a Jan. 11 press conference in New York to announce it. The bout could be the richest ever, assuming pay-per-view projections are accurate. Representatives of the Superdome in New Orleans and the new Dallas Cowboys' stadium have expressed interest in hosting the fight, as has the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, where the fighters have fought their biggest fights. There is also a proposal for a 30,000-seat temporary stadium on the Las Vegas Strip across from the Wynn resort. Oddsmakers are already taking bets on the fight, with most making the undefeated Mayweather a slight favorite. Earlier reports said, sraeli WBA super welterweight supremo Yuri Foreman might be Manny Pacquiao's next rival, not welterweight superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to trainer Freddie Roach they are looking at the possibility of a March 2010 showdown with Foreman, an aspiring rabbi who snagged the 154-lb strap with a unanimous decision over Daniel Santos in the undercard of Pacquiao's blockbuster fight with Miguel Cotto. The prospective gig with Foreman could very well be Pacquiao's crack at an unprecedented eighth division crown and an appetizer to the much-anticipated Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. A match with Mayweather, which Roach revealed, might be slated in September. “We want to fight in March and we don't really want to wait. Mayweather doesn't want to fight in March, so we might fight for the 154-lb crown in March and move up for that eighth world title,” Roach was quoted by British site Sky Sports.
