MANILA, Philippines - Top Rank’s Bob Arum yesterday issued an ultimatum to the Floyd Mayweather Jr. camp, giving them until Tuesday to agree to their final terms for the Manny Pacquiao-Mayweather bout to be held under the jurisdiction of the standard Nevada State Athletic Commission rules.
This developed as ESPN.com reported that Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which handles Mayweather, has formally backtracked on their USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) stance. Schaefer, however, maintained that additional “random” testing must be done for a deal to be struck.
But in an interview with Boxingtalk.com, Arum said that Team Pacquiao’s position is simple – “This fight will happen under the testing and regulations of every other fight before it or it just won’t happen.”
Under the NSAC rule, no blood tests would be done for PEDs as the commission only tests urine.
“Our position is that since the fight would be held in Nevada, let the Mayweather side make any petition it wants to the commission,” Arum said. “We wash our hands of it. If the commission wants to take blood, fine.”
It is, however, unclear if just a request from the Mayweather camp will have the NSAC enlist a third party to do blood testing or not.
In a recent interview, Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada Commission, said the NSAC would welcome a third party blood testing if requested.
The top boxing website also added that the GBP has received Team Pacquiao’s final offer and will have until Monday or Tuesday to make up their mind.
The Mayweather camp has earlier demanded that Pacquiao take an un-required blood test, giving the impression that his recent successes might be due to some type of performance-enhancing drug.
But Pacquiao said his success was due to his hard work and dedication and then announced the filing of a defamation lawsuit against Team Mayweather.
The Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown, billed as the fight the world wants to see, has been set March 13 at the MGM Grand at 147 pounds where the Filipino champion is staking his WBO welterweight crown.