SAVING `THE FIGHT'

By Gerry Ramos

FOR boxing promoter Bob Arum, there’s only one way the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. can be saved.

“Get rid of USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency), bring in one of the agencies that do the NFL and NBA, and we’ll tell tham what kind of testing we want and they will do it for us and the fight will go on,” he said.

Otherwise, the fight expected to go down as the richest in boxing history won’t be on the line on March 13.

With the continuous insistence of the Mayweather camp, specifically adviser Al Haymon and Mayweather Promotions Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Leonard Ellerbe, to strictly observe an Olympic-style, drug-testing to be conducted by the USADA, Arum has already considered taking a serious look at Plan B, which includes a possible match up with former world junior welterweight champion Paul Malignaggi.

Before leaving for a working vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for the holidays, Arum disclosed that he already had contact with Malignaggi’s promoter Lou Dibella about coming in as a possible replacement.

“I reached out to Lou DiBella, and we’re going to schedule that fight for March 13 unless something drastically changes with this Mayweather thing,” Arum said when interviewed by ESPN.

“I’m not going to leave Manny without a fight because of this nonsense (with Mayweather.”

Malignaggi, a Brooklyn, New York native with a record of 25-3, with only 5 knockouts, said he’s ready to take on Pacquiao, never mind that he also once accused the Filipino boxing champion of using performance-enhancing drugs.

And unlike before, the 29-year old American said he’s giving Pacquiao the benefit of the doubt this time.

“I’d like to believe he’s not on something, so I’d be OK to do the regular testing the commission (Nevada State Athletic Commission) does,” he said.

But like the rest of the world, Malignaggi is also keeping his fingers crossed that eventually boxing’s highly-anticipated fight will be made.

“At the end of the day, these guys have to come up with an agreement,” he said. “It’s cool to have my name in the mix, but to leave that much money on the table doesn’t make sense.”

Another thing that could hamper the fight to happen is Pacquiao’s serious plan to file a lawsuit against Mayweather Jr., his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who represented Floyd Jr. in negotiations for the fight with Pacquiao.

Stressing his name and reputation had been maligned and tarnished by insinuations made by the Mayweathers and the Golden Boy executive that he’s into illegal drugs, Pacquiao on Christmas Day announced that he’s ready to file a case on the court against these people.

Arum said he talked to Pacquiao over the phone the other day and mentioned that he has never heard the boxing icon talk furiously like this before.

“I have never, ever in all the years I have known Manny seen him so angry,” said the Top Rank Promotions chairman. “No wonder he is so fierce in the ring. He was angry, bitter and really pissed off beyond everything.

“He said, `I don’t want you to deal with these people’. He said he’s going through with the lawsuit.”

Apparently, HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg tried to save the fight by telling Arum and Schaefer to talk out Senator John McCain into mediating for the fight to happen, a suggestion made by HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant.

McCain, the former Republican presidential candidate, was a former amateur boxer at the U.S. Naval Academy who authored two major legislation benefiting boxing, including the famous Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.

But not even McCain’s influence is enough to convince Pacquiao to reconsider on his decision.

“There is no mediation because there is no give here,” said Arum. “Ross (Greenburg) asked if we would agree to mediation, but we’re not agreeable anymore. We’re not going to let Mayweather jerk Manny’s chain.”