Pacquiao vs Malignaggi for HBO PPV on March 13

By Mark Vester

It's been confirmed to BoxingScene.com that a possible Manny Pacquiao vs. Paulie Malignaggi event, if it gets finalized, will be carried by HBO pay-per-view. There is a Monday deadline for Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions to reach an agreement for Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. For nearly a week the two promotional companies have been fighting over the contract terms for random Olympic style drug testing.

After a week of back and forth negotiations, Bob Arum of Top Rank gave a final offer to Golden Boy, directing both sides to have the Nevada State Athletic Commission, during their January 19 meeting, decide if the two fighters need additional urine and blood tests. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe rejected Arum's final offer. They do not want the NSAC involved and refuse to back away from their demand for random tests within 30-days leading up to the fight. Arum warned Golden Boy that his offer was final. If neither side budges by Monday, Arum plans to finalize Pacquiao-Malignaggi for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

HBO commentator Larry Merchant told Yahoo Sports that he can't picture Mayweather walking away from so much money.

“This is boxing and it is the boxing business,” Merchant said. “Mayweather calls himself ‘Money,’ so it is hard to see him walking away from this much of it, especially when he thinks he is going to win. This would be the biggest fight that has been sabotaged because of a blood feud. No one wants to see it come to that.”

Source: boxingscene.com