Who honestly wants the mega-bout?

BOB ARUM, claiming the networks have struck a deal, said: “We had four issues and we resolved two. Now we’re working on resolving the other two.”

True or false?

Answered Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president of Showtime Sports: “There are a few significant issues remaining on both the fighter side and network side of the deal. It’s a bit premature to say the networks are in total agreement.”

That said, it’s starting to become clear that honesty, or the lack of it, is the main issue impeding negotiations for the dream mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

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Yes,  honesty has become an elusive commodity and Mayweather would himself set the record straight.

Accused of “running like a thief,” to avoid a fight with Pacquiao, Mayweather sought out the eight-division world title winner during a Miami Heat NBA game.

In that first confrontation, Mayweather directed Pacquiao to stop lying. The vehemence more than showed Mayweather was not the least afraid of Pacquiao.

Of course, the meeting between the two boxing superstars fired up hopes for the staging of the mega-bout, which promises to be the richest in boxing history. However, the next thing Mayweather did was fly to the Carribean on his private jet while saying he would travel and explore the world and  just let the other side continue with the lying.

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To show how much he wanted the mega-bout [to happen] Mayweather also posted a photo of himself discussing with Pacquiao in a Miami hotel room. Mayweather supported the photo by saying, “I set up this meeting with Manny Pacquiao to get the fight done but they will continue to tell the public it’s us and that’s NOT TRUE.”

Pacquiao himself showed his sincerity by keeping mum and refusing to say a word about the negotiation, or where it was heading.

That would not be the case with Arum, mainly with that false claim that the networks (HBO and Showtime) have already struck a deal.

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Meanwhile, Kevin Iole of Yahoo sports decried Arum’s claim of a settled TV deal and wrote: “Arum’s insistence on public comments are clearly an impediment to reaching a deal. That is one point that people on both sides in these talks agree about. Top Rank president Todd deBoef is irate at Arum, his stepfather, but has essentially thrown his hands up and said he can’t control Arum.”

By the way, in that first confrontation with Pacquiao, Mayweather had been quoted as saying, “If you can’t tell the truth, it’s best to keep silent.”

Did the venerable Mr. Arum refuse to hear?

Or does he honestly want the mega-bout?