Manny Pacquiao Rejects Calls by Floyd Mayweather for May 5 Super Fight

Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao has rejected the frantic call by unbeaten American boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. for a fight on his reserved date of May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev.

Pacquiao cited "economic reasons" as the main factor that will prevent the fight from happening on May 5 as Mayweather wanted, according to the AP (h/t philstar.com).

Mayweather challenged Pacquiao to a fight on May 5 in a message posted on Twitter after obtaining a postponement of his jail term from a Nevada court.

Mayweather, who remains unbeaten in 42 professional fights, has just been sentenced to serve 90 days in jail for assault against his former girlfriend Josie Harris, who is the mother of his two children.

The unbeaten champion was scheduled to start his term in jail on Jan. 6 but was granted a postponement by a Nevada Court until June 1 on a motion by his lawyers.

Mayweather's lawyers told the Court in their motion that their client has a May 5 commitment to fight in Las Vegas, citing a much earlier reservation made at the MGM Grand.

They also cited the business losses that will impact on the local economy of Las Vegas if the fight fails to materialize.

In his response to the calls of Mayweather, Pacquiao said he won't make it on May 5 but will be available by the end of May. His promoter, Bob Arum, earlier cited among others, Pacquiao's injury during his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez last Nov. 12, which has not fully healed so far

But Arum's real concern is the unavailability of a bigger venue that could accommodate at least 45,000 people.

Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz told Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN News, a bigger venue for the fight is necessary to maximize the revenue that is needed to make the fight viable.

"Be your own boss, Floyd, and fight at the end of May, for the economic reason of earning the extra income from the bigger stadium... the earliest this can be constructed is the end of May," Koncz said.

Arum said a bigger venue to be erected for the purpose would not be available on May 5, but it will be ready by the end of May.

"In order to maximize revenue for the fight, you have to have a stadium larger than 16,500," Arum said.

"The (temporary stadium) wouldn't be ready with any degree of certainty in the beginning of May. It would be available at the end of May."

"If we do it on May 5, we would be limited pretty much to the MGM Grand, and we would probably do a gate of $20 million, a record gate. If we did it in this new temporary arena for 45,000 people, we would do a gate of around $60 million."

Arum is concerned about the revenue loss if the fight is held at the MGM Grand which can only accommodate 16,500.

"The difference is a minimum of $40 million. It's an extra $20 million for each fighter... That's still a lot of money," Arum said.