Report: Jones offers $25M for megafight

DALLAS -- Dallas Cowboys officials are still interested in bringing the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight to Cowboys Stadium, multiple sources close to the football team and fight officials said Saturday night.

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Jerry Jones offered to pay $25 million as a site fee.

"I'm working really hard to bring the fight down to Dallas," Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter said. "[It's] still alive"

On Wednesday, Cowboys officials were surprised that Richard Schaefer, Mayweather's promoter, pulled out of a scheduled site visit.

Arum told ESPN: "Richard called me [Tuesday] and said he won't go to Texas. And I told him to call [HBO Sports president] Ross [Greenburg] and tell him. And then I called Ross and said, 'You don't want me to go if he's not going. If Jerry Jones offers me money for the fight what is Pacquiao going to do? Go in the ring alone?' Schaefer just said, 'I'm not going to Texas. I'm not going to do the fight in Texas. I'm not going to waste my time.' That's the explanation."

Arum said he asked why and Schaefer's response was, " 'The fight is March 13 and there isn't enough time to do a fight at an outdoor stadium.' It's bizarre, but that's what he said. I reminded him [that the stadium has a retractable roof]. He said, 'it doesn't matter.' I am not going to theorize. I'm just telling you what happened."

Even though fight officials did not visit Arlington, Jones is still pursuing the bout.

Cowboys officials are prepared to seat 9,000 fans on the football field and lower the video board, which is 90 feet above the ground, to close to 25 feet above the ring. The fight could have a capacity of close to 100,000 fans.

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is also a possible site for the fight but it hasn't offered the promoters a site fee. The Superdome in New Orleans, Miami Dolphins officials are also interested.

"The numbers are going in the right direction and I believe we'll end up in excess of $30 million," Schaefer said to The Times regarding site fees.

Source: espn.go.com