The biggest fight of 2010 — Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather — could be off.
Early Tuesday evening, Golden Boy Promotions, which represented Mayweather in negotiations, distributed a press release that said the March 13 bout was in "jeopardy."
Reached late Tuesday night, Bob Arum of Top Rank, which promotes the Filipino, took it a step further.
"The plug is pulled. The fight is off as far as we're concerned," he said, adding that he expects Pacquiao to fight on that date but is seeking a new opponent.
The public remarks highlight a significant turn because both sides, including television partner HBO, have been cautious to not speak publicly about specifics regarding the bout for fear of jeopardizing negotiations.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has demanded drug testing as required by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency which includes random blood and urine sampling. Pacquiao (50-3-2 38 KOs), however, will not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout. He did agree to have his blood taken before the press conference to kick off the promotion and after the bout.
"The press release is absurd," said Arum, Mayweather's former promoter. "Mayweather proves that he's a coward and he's looking for a way out of the fight. The Nevada commission has been doing drug testing for the last 40 years. To appease Mayweather, we agreed they could do urine analysis anytime they wanted. But Manny doesn't want them to draw his blood when he's in training because it weakens him."
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said earlier Tuesday that Top Rank president Todd duBoef told him Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout.
"Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight," Schaefer said in the statement. "(Pacquiao) would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight."
Mayweather said Pacquiao needs to explain himself immediately or face questions regarding his status as a clean, drug-free athlete.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," Mayweather said. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
"It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Las Vegas was expected to host the bout and construct an outdoor venue to accommodate what likely would be the highest grossing fight of all time. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao stand to make at least $25 million for the fight.
"All they're doing is harassing Pacquiao. I'm not going to allow it to happen," Arum said. "We're willing to do urine analysis at random even though we don't have to do it under Nevada rules. … I know deep down Mayweather doesn't want the fight. He can take a walk."
