Floyd Mayweather’s agitated reaction as confusion clouds Manny Pacquiao talks

Sacramento Kings Center DeMarcus Cousins, the first-time All-Star, stood a few feet away, his 6-11 frame dwarfing Mayweather's.

Mayweather leaned over to a young boy standing by Cousins' leg, who appeared to be his son Amir.

When Mayweather was asked by a reporter if any progress had been made on talks between himself and Manny Pacquiao for a proposed May 2 super fight that will likely shatter every previous financial record associated with boxing, he grew strangely agitated according to the New York Daily News.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mayweather said. "Please, can I ask you a question? Is this a boxing match? Are we at a boxing match?

"No, this is the All-Star game. I'm at an All-Star event. Please respect my privacy. I don't want to answer any questions."

Floyd said Sunday that neither he nor Pacquiao have signed a deal for their much-discussed megafight, but he still hopes to get into the ring with the Filipino icon.

Mayweather, attending the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, said in a brief television interview during the contest that global reports about a virtually done deal for the long anticipated bout were premature.

The Sunday Telegraph, citing a source in the Pacquiao camp, reported "Pac-man" had signed a deal for a fight expected to be worth $250 million.

"That's not true," Mayweather said. "I haven't signed yet and he hasn't signed yet.

"It's just been speculations and rumours," Mayweather said. "But I'm hopeful we can make the fight happen."

Buzz about a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on May 2 in Las Vegas has been growing all month after the Asian star's promoter Bob Arum said a deal could be looming.

Filipino southpaw Pacquiao is 57-5 with two draws and 38 knockouts while Mayweather is 47-0 with 26 knockouts.

The two were long-time rivals as the "best pound-for-pound" boxers of their generation, but the dream fight has never materialised to the disappointment of the boxing world.

Various issues have scuttled previous attempts to make the fight, including a falling-out between Mayweather and Arum.

Drug testing protocol issues contributed to the breakdown of talks five years ago, but after the fighters met at an NBA game in Miami in late January talks seemed to be progressing.

One issue that must be resolved is the fighters' contracts with rival telecasters.

Mayweather has a contract with Showtime while Pacquiao has a deal with HBO, so the rival telecasters must also decide how to divvy up the spoils.

The last time Showtime and HBO made such a deal was for a Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis match up in 2002.