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12/24/2009 4:13 PM ET By Lem Satterfield
Top rank promoter Bob Arum said that he is pursuing a March 13 bout with junior welterweight (140 pounds) Paulie Malignaggi for Manny Pacquiao, re-iterating that the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion's megabout with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather originally scheduled for that same date "is off" as a result of the drug-testing negotiations impasse.
"The fight is off," said Arum. "Nobody is going to push around a fighter that I'm connected with like this. The fight is off."
Arum is referring to the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which would employ random blood-testing and urinalysis for both Pacquiao and Mayweather for performance enhancing drugs.
At issue is the refusal of Pacquiao, seven-division world boxing champion from the Philippines, to supply blood other than three times -- once in January, once on Feb. 13 or 30 days out from the fight, and once the day after the fight.
The USADA will not allow Pacquiao's camp to dictate the terms and conditions of when he will be tested.
Mayweather-Pacquiao was scheduled to take place at the MGM in Las Vegas, whose Nevada State Athletic Commission tests fighters' urine for illegal drugs before and after bouts.
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) has fought in Las Vegas 11 times and tested clean for every one of his bout there, said Nevada Commission director, Keith Kizer.
"We've absolutely turned down any involvement with the USADA. We don't want to be involved with them," said Arum, who would host Pacquiao-Malignaggi at the MGM as well.
"I have talked today with Lou DiBella about Paulie Malignaggi, and then, possibly, we'll go to Yuri Foreman," said Arum, who promotes Foreman (28-0, eight KOs), the newly-crowned WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champ. "But Lou said that he is going to track down Paulie and talk to him about it."
DiBella, Malignaggi's promoter, said that he would discuss the offer with his fighter "over the weekend."
"I have to talk to Paulie and I have to talk to Bob again, obviously," said DiBella. "We'll talk over the next day or two and see where things stand."
The 31-year-old Pacquiao has won his past 11 fights, eight of them by knockout.
The 29-year-old Malignaggi (27-3, five KOs) is a pure boxer who is coming off of a Dec. 12, unanimous decision victory over Juan Diaz (35-3, with 17 KOs) that avenged an earlier loss.
Malignaggi's only other setbacks were against two fighters Pacquiao has knocked out -- Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, respectively, by knockout and decision.
Pacquiao's past six bouts have been decisions over Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, and knockouts, respectively, over David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya,Hatton and Cotto
Pacquiao weighed 134, 142, 138, and, 144, respectively, against Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton, and, Cotto, whom he knocked out in nine, eight, two, and, 12 rounds.
The Filipino's ability to carry power into all of those bouts raised questions in the eyes of some, including Floyd Mayweather Sr., who originally leveraged steroid accusations against Pacquiao in September.
Mayweather Jr., Kermit Cintron, and Malignaggi are among fighters who expressed their belief that Pacquiao may be using some form of performance enhancement to rise from his career-starting weight class of 106 pounds to his present one of 147.
USADA chief Travis Tygart and Golden Boy Promotions, the latter of which is negotiating on Mayweather's behalf, argue that urine tests do not detect Human Growth Hormone or any number of potent performance-enhancers, while the USADA's Olympic-style blood tests do.
Pacquiao has said that he believes drawing blood within 30 days of fight time would weaken him, while Tygart says the amount of blood required -- less than a teaspoon -- would not affect a fighter's performance.
"They [USADA] told [Pacquiao's trainer] Freddie Roach, that they want to absolutely be able to test the day before the fight by taking blood," said Arum. "All that they're looking to do now is to harrass Pacquiao. We have absolutely no confidence that they are going to do this fairly."
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