Report: Pacquiao to sign Hatton deal this week

MANILA, Philippines – The purse split originally put on the table has finally been okayed by Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. Arum particularly directed his satisfaction at Pacquiao’s decision – made through Pacquiao’s battery of advisers – to agree to an even split in the prize money. "There was a lot of confusion about why we did 50-50, but everyone now understands why this is a good deal," Arum told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times on Wednesday. "This thing is going to happen. Yesterday was disarray. Today, everything's back in order." Arum added that he expects that, "by tomorrow, I'll have a signed contract." Pacquiao has reportedly sought a 60-40 partition in his favor. When the matchmakers wouldn’t budge, the talks stalled to the point that scrapping altogether the Pacquiao-Hatton gig on May 2 in Las Vegas loomed. Arum previously cited his respect for Hatton’s drawing power in England as the reason for the 50-50 percentage. Half of the pay-per-view sales in Hatton’s country will be added to Pacquiao’s earnings, a stipulation that Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn’t enjoy when he fought Hatton in 2007. When that was brought to the attention of Jeng Gacal, Pacquiao’s lawyer, "everybody … calmed down," Arum noted. The bout will be held at 140 lbs, the fourth consecutive time that Pacquiao will fight in a different division. At that weight, Hatton is undefeated. The negotiations in the Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya match also went through some rough sailing after Pacquiao declined a 70-30 split in De la Hoya's favor and sought a 60-40 percentage. The two sides eventually settled for 66-33. – GMANews.TV