Floyd Mayweather is reportedly serious about making a Manny Pacquiao fight

Is it time to start getting excited? Could this be real? Well, I wouldn't hold my breath just yet because most of us won't believe it until we see a press conference announcement, a 10 week edition of Fight Camp 360, and see them both between the ropes when the bell rings...

Be that as it may, reports from the LA Times and via RingTV are suggesting that serious high level talks are ongoing about putting together the overly-long-awaited megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. What makes this different from almost every other previous report on the topic is that this time the source of information isn't coming directly from Bob Arum. He's had a habit of incessantly bringing up Mayweather - and suggesting negotiations taking place between them, despite the other side denying it all - during the build up to recent Pacquiao fights. Presumably this was a tactic to drum up interest in some of Pacquiao's recent lackluster match-ups. This time, however, we're hearing it from the folks over at Showtime.

"We can confirm that Floyd Mayweather definitely wants the Pacquiao fight," a Showtime spokesperson wrote to The Times in an email that was also obtained by RingTV.com. "Everyone on our side - Floyd, CBS and Showtime - is advocating for the fight to happen."

Being that Mayweather is the preeminent figure for Showtime Sports, this could be seen as a self-serving statement to shield their man from the recent and unabashed criticism of Mayweather ducking Pac-Man. But the LA Times is also reporting that CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves is the one who has finally brought the two sides together. In the Times report, both Showtime and HBO are discussing a joint venture between the networks to stage the fight, similar to when Mike Tyson - Lennox Lewis was made back in 2002.

Of course, we know that Mr. Arum still had to comment on the current situation.

"The guy carrying the ball is Moonves," said Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum, according to The Times. "He and I have talked on a number of occasions and he has suggested we see if we can reach an understanding. I assume, without knowing for a fact, that he's talking to the Mayweather camp."

Speaking on Moonves, Arum had this to say:

"One of the leading television executives in the country. I have no idea if he can get [Pacquiao-Mayweather] done or not, though, because I cannot talk for Mayweather," Arum said.

Moonves, through a CBS spokesman, declined to comment on the subject "out of respect for the privacy of the talks." Mayweather and Showtime Executive Stephen Espinosa have also followed suit.

So, supposedly two boxing officials that are close to Mayweather, but not authorized to discuss the negotiations, have intimated that Mayweather has never wanted to fight Pacquiao as much as he does now. Perhaps that Pacquiao Foot Locker commercial wasn't so amusing to Floyd.