Bob Arum: All Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Has To Do Is Say He Wants To Fight

Veteran boxing promoter Bob Arum has reacted sharply to Oscar de la Hoya's reported claim that he has been preventing Manny Pacquiao from fighting Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

“That's totally nonsense because you can argue over the first situation, the first go-around, they had one position, we had another. But on the second go-around, we gave in to every one of their positions,” said the veteran boxing promoter.

Arum stated that during the first round of negotiations, they failed to reach an agreement because of Mayweather's demand for Olympic-style drug testing.

Pacquiao eventually gave in to Mayweather's demand during the second round of talks, but Mayweather's camp denied there was a negotiation in the first place, Arum added.

"We were so anxious to make the fight and Mayweather didn't want to fight, and even today, we will do the fight unconditionally, unconditionally! And all Mayweather has to do is say he wants the fight,” said Arum.

“So, to say that we don't want to make the fight or we are preventing the fight to happen is a little silly. All he has to do is have Mayweather get up and make a statement 'I'm ready to fight,” he added.

In the meantime, Arum said he would present to Manny Pacquiao the proposal submitted by Juan Manuel Marquez when he travels to the Philippines next week for the Filipino boxer's birthday on December 17.

Arum, however, said Pacquiao is likely to ignore Marquez's proposal because the Mexican challenger is asking double the amount he received when he fought Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in September 2009.

“He lost that fight, but at least, that's the starting point: ask for every dollar you made on the Mayweather fight and now we can start talking, but don't ask for double what you made in the Mayweather fight and expect anybody to pay attention,” said Arum.

Meanwhile, the undefeated boxer's father, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. said in a recent interview with Percy Crawford of Fighthype that his son is ready and willing to face Pacquiao, but he must first agree to take the random tests all the way up to the fight.

He said Lil Floyd would beat three Pacquiao's in one night if the playing field were even. He added he doesn't want his son to fight somebody with an unfair advantage.

In a statement apparently directed at Pacquiao he said: "take the tests and you got a fight", it's that simple.