Bob Arum told the Post today he has made what he calls an offer that “should rap up” negotiations for a proposed March 13 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. “If not we’re going to move on,” he said by telephone.
Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, and the Mayweather camp have been at an impasse on the methods to test the boxers for performance enhancing drugs. Arum’s latest offer essentially is to hold a hearing before the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Jan. 19 and let it decide how many blood tests the fighters will undergo before the bout.
Pacquiao is agreeable to undergoing as many urinalyses as requested. He has already agreed to three blood tests: one in January when the fight is scheduled to be announced; another no later than 30 days before the bout and a third test immediately after the fight.
The proposed hearing will be a form of binding arbitration with both sides committed to abiding by the commission’s decision. “We can go before the commission and we can present our experts and they present their experts and the Nevada Commission can determine whether additional blood tests are worthwhile,” Arum said.
If an agreement to follow the Commission’s decision is reached today or tomorrow, a press conference will be held as scheduled the first week of January in New York to formally announce the bout.
“Let’s put it in the hands of the commission and abide by it,” Arum said. “We can have the hearing on Jan. 19 and whatever they decide we’ll abide by even if they want Manny to give blood while he’s walking into the ring.”
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