LAS VEGAS – Though sports fans remain desperate to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Manny Pacquiao, in 2010 the superstar boxers came closer to fighting than anyone previously realized, according to a document obtained by Yahoo! Sports.

A contract sent on Dec. 11, 2009, by Golden Boy Promotions on behalf of Mayweather to Top Rank on behalf of Pacquiao proposed a 50-50 financial split between the sides for a fight that would have been held March 13, 2010.





The eight-page agreement is so detailed that it indicates which of the two fighters would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather) and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather).



It detailed that the bout would have been on HBO Pay-Per-View at a cost of $59.95. Billing was to be "Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, presented by Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and M-P Promotions in association with [approved sponsors and the site]."

A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout is expected to be the largest-grossing fight in history, in which total revenues could reach $300 million. Experts have predicted the fight would sell between 2.5 million and 3 million pay-per-views in the U.S.

Given that Mayweather's May 5 bout against Miguel Cotto was priced at $69.95, it would not be unreasonable for Mayweather-Pacquiao to be priced at $79.95 or more. At $79.95, it would generate a whopping $199.875 million if it reached 2.5 million pay-per-view buys.

Pacquiao's side declined the 2009 contract offer because Pacquiao objected to Mayweather's request for the drug testing. Though Pacquiao has subsequently agreed to Mayweather's demands for random blood and urine testing, the sides have not been able to reach agreement on a deal.

After his May 5 win over Cotto, which sold 1.5 million pay-per-view units and generated $94 million in domestic PPV revenue, Mayweather said he would not agree to a 50-50 split of revenue.

Mayweather entered the Clark County Detention Center on Friday to begin serving the remainder of a 90-day sentence as the result of a plea deal to misdemeanor domestic violence charges. With good behavior, Mayweather is expected to serve two months.

Pacquiao faces unbeaten Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a bout he must win if he is to keep hope alive for a match with Mayweather either later this year or early next year. According to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, they already had a contract in place.

"We have a contract that they sent us and all the terms have been agreed to," Arum said. "All this that's been going on – 'Bob Arum doesn't want it,' and 'I'm entitled to this and that,' is all [expletive]. All [expletive]. This is their lawyer who prepared this, sent copies to everyone. … This isn't something I wrote and passed out. Their lawyer did this and sent it to us."

Richard Schaefer, the chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, said he did not recall sending a contract offering a 50-50 split.

"If we had a deal, how come we didn't have a fight?" Schaefer said when asked to comment.

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Schaefer said he met Arum shortly before Thanksgiving in 2009 to discuss parameters of a deal, but said he didn't remember sending Top Rank a completed contract for signature that included a 50-50 purse split.

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