PITTSBURGH Mayweather, Spadafora eye bout

They are negotiating to meet in an elimination bout leading to a title fight.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. is negotiating to meet the unbeaten but oft-troubled Paul Spadafora in an elimination bout leading to a junior welterweight title fight against champion Arturo Gatti.
Promoters are working to schedule the bout May 8 in Madison Square Garden. The fight between a current world lightweight champion (Mayweather) and a former champion (Spadafora) would be the last in Mayweather's current contract with HBO.
Spadafora's promoter, Mike Acri, of Erie, Pa., said Tuesday he expects the World Boxing Council to issue a letter later this week designating the fight as a mandatory challenge. Mayweather is the WBC lightweight champion.
"I think there's a very good chance of this coming off," Acri said. "All roads lead to Gatti."
Another possibility
Acri has also discussed a possible Spadafora-Ricky Hatton fight on Showtime, but thinks the Mayweather fight is much more likely to occur once the WBC mandates it.
Mayweather, a featherweight during his amateur career, previously wanted to jump 19 pounds and fight Oscar De La Hoya at junior middleweight. But De La Hoya is trained by Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., and could not be persuaded to take on a bout that would essentially pit father vs. son.
Mayweather last fought Nov. 1, knocking out Phillip Ndou in the seventh round of their lightweight title fight. Mayweather has since turned his attention to junior welterweight, currently one of the deepest weight classes, with Gatti, Leonard Dorin, Kostya Tszyu, Ricky Hatton and Spadafora.
Spadafora (36-0-1) and Mayweather (31-0) had a sparring session several years ago in which both sides agree Spadafora had the upper hand. However, Spadafora had been training longer at the time.
The money
Mayweather likely would earn $3.25 million for the fight, with Spadafora making a career-best $1 million -- double what he earned in May for his HBO-televised draw with Dorin for the WBA and IBF lightweight titles. That fight was designed to lead to a bout with Mayweather to unite all three world lightweight titles.
Spadafora, 28, subsequently gave up his IBF title, saying he could no longer make weight at 135 pounds. He hasn't fought since then as he allowed cuts from the Dorin fight to heal.
Spadafora's current problems extend far beyond choosing his next opponent. He faces a felony charge resulting from the Oct. 26 shooting and wounding of his girlfriend, Nadine Russo, in the Pittsburgh suburb of McKees Rocks.
Police said Spadafora gave conflicting accounts of what happened outside a convenience store after Russo, 21, was shot in the chest, moments after she and Spadafora argued.
Spadafora remains free on bond as he awaits trial on charges of attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and violation of firearms laws.