reviewjournal.com -- Sports: Officials: Jones bout not being called off

Promoter Don King and an HBO Pay-Per-View executive are disputing a rumor that the May 15 fight featuring Roy Jones Jr. at Mandalay Bay is in danger of being canceled.

Multiple sources had said Jones' light heavyweight title defense against Antonio Tarver could be canceled because of a disagreement between King and HBO Pay-Per-View over revenues from an April 17 show in New York.

HBO Pay-Per-View executive vice president Mark Taffet said Friday that contracts for the Jones-Tarver broadcast are being finalized and there is no chance the fight will be called off because of the separate dispute.

King, en route to Las Vegas from Los Angeles on Friday, scoffed at reports the fight wouldn't come off. He speculated that the rumors emanated from a professional rival.

"I know I got a hot fight if (others) are saying there ain't no fight," King said. "That's when I know I've got something worthwhile. You ask me about some kind of a disagreement, but that's normal. It ain't got nothing to do with the fight. The fight is on."

Taffet also insisted the fight is on track.

"A Don King autograph is a rare commodity," Taffet said. "We've worked with Don for a number of years and you always volley back and forth on a number of issues. It's like a tennis match, but in the end, it gets done. We're at the point of finalizing the details now.

"There is no disagreement over the words. There are no outstanding issues. I will be ringside on May 15 to watch the rematch between Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio Tarver."

Mandalay Bay spokesman Gordon Absher said the first he heard of a potential cancellation was when a reporter inquired about it. He said he has been arranging interviews for Zab Judah, who will fight on the undercard, and said he wouldn't be doing that if he felt the card was in danger of being canceled.