Megafight can be salvaged

Boxing promoter Bob Arum on Thursday told this newspaper there is one way the proposed fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. can be salvaged.
"Get rid of USADA, bring in one of the agencies that do the NFL and NBA and we'll tell them what kind of testing we want and they will do it for us and the fight will go on," said Arum, Pacquiao's promoter.

If not, Pacquiao will move on.

Arum said he already has reached out to Paul Malignaggi's promoter, Lou Dibella, about Malignaggi replacing Mayweather for the March 13 fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"Lou wants the fight, but he has to get a hold of Malignaggi, who is with his family for Christmas Eve," Arum said.

Malignaggi is the former junior welterweight champion from Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley of Palm Springs has thrown his name into the mix. He said he won't ask Pacquiao to do any testing other than that already provided by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It consists of a urine test before and after a fight - sometimes, but rarely, during training.

"I feel I'm more than ready for Manny Pacquiao," Bradley said Thursday. "I would not require no (other) drug testing. Manny Pacquiao ain't doing drugs, man. He is just on top of his game."

Pacquiao-Mayweather was expected to be formally announced any day.

But earlier this week the Mayweather camp, represented by Golden Boy Promotions, told

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Pacquiao's camp there would be no deal unless Pacquiao agreed to submit to Olympic-style drug-testing provided by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
That would require eight to 12 urine samples and three to five blood samples that could be taken at random during the promotion.

Pacquiao never has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and has fought 11 times in Las Vegas. But Floyd Mayweather Sr. has gone on record as saying he believes Pacquiao, who has had success in seven weight classes, is using them.

"Manny is not opposed to testing. He just doesn't want to do blood right before the fight," Arum said. "We have never been against drug testing, we have been against drug testing close to the fight.

"Athletes around the world have complained that this blood testing close to the event really affects their performance."

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, said he is trying to save the fight. Arum said he would agree to a system that would require no more than three blood tests - one in early January, one 30 days before the fight and one directly after.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said he would consider a blood test as close as five days before the fight but no closer.

Schaefer was told about Arum reaching out to DiBella.

"I guess he is going to do what he is going to do," Schaefer said. "But I don't give up easily. I still think we owe it to the sport and owe it to the fans to get this thing done."

Source: pasadenastarnews.com