Harris gave confirmation yesterday while declaring that the size of the purse is being worked out and will determine if he would take on the super-swift Mayweather who is expected to leave his 135-pound throne for the encounter.

Harris promised that a definite word will be made available by weekend when negotiations are expected to be completed.

“My point is that I would not take anything less than one and one half million dollars to fight Mayweather. They are trying to work things out with HBO,” Harris said from his Brooklyn home yesterday.

Mayweather is the WBC lightweight champion and is rated one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. The 25-year-old Harris claims that Mayweather, one year his senior, has been calling him (Harris) out for some time.

`The Vicious One’ added that his management was toying with the idea of him facing World Boxing Union (WBU) junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton but the Englishman refused opting instead for another opponent.

Harris said that his team leaned more to Mayweather since a fight with undisputed world champion Kostya Tzsyu would be very much down the line.

“Tzsyu doesn’t want to fight. He hurt his ankle and will be out for a while. In the meantime I have to keep fighting. I have to keep putting Guyana on the map.”

“By the end of the week we will know if HBO has agreed to pay the money or not for the Mayweather fight. Mayweather has been calling me out for a while and maybe the time is ripe for us to get it on.”

Mayweather won the WBC lightweight title on April 20 2002 following a 12 round decision over Jose Luis Castillo and successfully defended it twice.

He was also the WBC junior lightweight champion. Lightning quick, `Pretty Boy’ Mayweather is undefeated in 30 fight with 20 knockouts.

Harris became the third Guyanese to win a world title when he knocked out Diobelys Hurtado last October. He has only lost once in 25 fights and has 16 knockouts. He defended his title once.