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Mayweather and Pacquiao meet for the first time
Boxing superstars Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao moved a stage closer to a much anticipated mega-fight after meeting for the first time at a basketball game in Miami and agreeing to start negotiations over a $300million (£200m) bout.
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Mayweather went over to Pacquiao at half-time of the Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks game and the pair shook hands, chatted briefly, then exchanged phone numbers.
Pacquiao said: 'He gave his number to me and said we will communicate with each other.'
The local TV channel broadcasting the game have footage of the meeting (above) but what was said was not audible.
Mayweather and Pacquiao had never spoken face to face before, but when asked to clarify if the exchange meant the two would negotiate directly about meeting in the ring, Pacquiao said that was the case.
Mayweather had a courtside seat next to the Heat bench, directly across from Pacquiao's seat on the opposite sideline. And after finally meeting on the side of the basketball court, the two fighters may be getting closer to a long anticipated bout in the ring, which would be the richest in boxing history.
Pacquiao is a noted basketball fan and is friends with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who is of Filipino descent, while Mayweather has been a regular attendee at Heat games for several years.
According to Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz, the meeting between the two boxers was not planned as the Pac-Man was due to fly to Los Angeles on Tuesday but his flight is believed to have been cancelled, so he went the game instead.
Koncz told Yahoo Sports: 'Floyd walked over and he and Manny had a nice little talk. I'm not at liberty to say what they said, but it was a good conversation.'
Pacquiao has been in Miami for several days because he was judging the Miss Universe competition and he is now due to fly to LA on Wednesday.
A mega-fight between the two has been in the offing for a number of years – but suggestion is that it could finally be announced for this year.
Pound-for-pound king Mayweather is rumoured to be announcing his next opponent this weekend during the Super Bowl in order to gain maximum exposure.
Mayweather is due to fight again on May 2 in Las Vegas, and aside from a mega-fight with Pacquiao, other potential opponents include a rematch with Miguel Cotto or a meeting with Britain's Amir Khan.
But Mayweather said last month that he's ready to fight the Pac-Man in May.
Pacquiao responded a few days later on social media, telling Mayweather that it's time to 'give the fans the fight they want.'
In recent days, another tweet was posted on Pacquiao's account where he said: 'I can easily beat @FloydMayweather, I believe that.'
Pacquiao has previously said that he's agreed to all of Mayweather's terms and conditions for the fight, including a 60-40 purse split in the American's favour and agreement on drug testing. But as yet no contract has been drawn up.
And with Mayweather and Pacquiao pictured in the same room together for the first time, staff at the American Airlines Arena in Miami were happy to add to the speculation by putting pictures of the two boxers on the big screen with the question 'Coming in 2015?'.
Mayweather, the WBA and WBC welterweight champion, hasn't lost in 47 fights, while Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight titleholder, is 57-5-2 in his career.
If, however, Mayweather opts for a rematch with Cotto, that paves the way for Pacquiao to possibly fight Khan. The former stablemates met last week in London to discuss a potential 2015 showdown.
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk
