MANILA – Expect more hard-hitting action on the negotiating table than the actual fight itself when you speak of a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather, Jr. match up.

Mayweather’s adviser Leonard Ellerbe said he expects tough negotiations between their camp and Pacquiao's should they want the "mega-fight" to push through.

“The impending negotiations will be much tougher than the fight, if a deal can be struck,” Ellerbe told The Grand Rapids Press.

Ellerbe also echoed an earlier comment made by Roger Mayweather, Floyd Jr.’s uncle and trainer, about the possible Pacquiao match.

“[The bout with Pacquiao] will probably [be] one of Floyd’s easier fights,” he said.

Formal negotiations for the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout were scheduled to begin Monday in Las Vegas (Tuesday in Manila) between Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) CEO Richard Schaefer and Top Rank Promotions big boss Bob Arum.

GBP represents Mayweather while Top Rank handles Pacquiao.

“It's a meeting where we will try to make the fight. Whether it can be made or not in this meeting, I don't know. We'll see what we will see,” Arum said in a report by ESPN.com.

Schaefer, for his part, said: “Bob and I will approach this without egos and try to get it done under fair terms.”

Both promoters said they will remain tightlipped on the details of their discussion until they arrive at a decision.

Pacquiao has already made known his desire to face the American fighter. “For the record, ya,” he told KTLA-TV News in Los Angeles, California last week.

His trainer, Freddie Roach, has also declared several times that he wants his ward to fight Mayweather.

“We both want Mayweather. All Floyd has to do is sign the contract. He ducked us last time, he picked [Juan Manuel] Marquez. He’s been ducking people his whole life. He ducked [Antonio] Margarito, he ducked Shane Mosley, we need the best fight and I think that’s the fight we need to make,” Roach said in a report posted on SportsRadioInterviews.com.

Money debate

Money will be the biggest hurdle to sealing the deal as both boxers are certified pay-per-view (PPV) hits.

“Manny has an ego too and he feels like he should get the 60/40 split. That’s going to pose a problem, but the thing is Mayweather hired Golden Boy to negotiate the deal. So Golden Boy and Arum, I think they will get it done,” said Roach.

“When he [Mayweather] asks for a 65/35 split, he’s politely saying ‘I don’t want to fight,’” he added.

Ellerbe, meanwhile, said negotiations will be based not only on the revenues of the fighters’ most recent bouts but also on their other pay-per-view draws.

Pacquiao edged Mayweather in terms of PPV buys of their last fights.

Pacquiao’s technical knockout win over Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in Round 12 on November 14 drew 1.25 million PPVs. It generated $70 million in US television revenue.

Mayweather, on the other hand, sold 1.05 million pay-per-view units and generated $52 million for his September 19 fight where he beat Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez by unanimous decision.

Ellerbe, however, highlighted that Mayweather got better numbers than Pacquiao in their fights with common pay-per-view foes Marquez, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

“Floyd has done better numbers, both domestically and internationally,” said Mayweather’s adviser. Mayweather holds the pay-per-view record of 2.44 million buys for his split decision victory over de la Hoya in 2007.

Pacquiao and Mayweather are currently the highest-ranked pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Pacquiao, who holds the distinction of being the only boxer that held seven world titles in as many divisions, is today's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. Mayweather is No. 2.

Mayweather remains undefeated in 40 fights (25 knockouts). Pacquiao, on the other hand, has 50 wins (38 KOs), 3 losses, and 2 draws.