Nevada orders urine tests for Pacquiao, Mayweather

The head of the Nevada boxing commission ordered Manny Pacquiao

and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to submit to urine tests Monday as a way

of trying to break the impasse that has threatened to derail their

proposed March 13 megafight.

Pacquiao and Mayweather must submit to the tests within 48 hours

or face possible fines or suspension by the Nevada Athletic

commission.

“That at least starts the ball rolling,” said Keith Kizer, the

commission’s executive director.

The tests, which were ordered by commission chairman Pat

Lundvall, fall under an out-of-competition testing regulation which

went into effect last year and allows state boxing authorities to

order boxers to comply. Kizer said about 30 of the tests have been

ordered in the last 18 months.

The commission’s demand comes a day after Pacquiao promoter Bob

Arum said he would not budge off a proposal to do just three blood

tests on the two fighters – and none within 30 days of the fight.

Arum, who had suggested the NAC decide next month who will prevail

in the dispute, said he planned to begin negotiating a fight with

Paul Malignaggi if Mayweather’s camp didn’t agree to the terms.

But Mayweather’s manager, Leonard Ellerbe, said Monday there

would be no fight on Arum’s terms, and charged the promoter with

trying to shift the blame for the fight not happening from

Pacquiao’s side to Mayweather.

“If he’s unwilling to do random blood and urine it’s a

nonstarter,” Ellerbe told The Associated Press. “He knows that.

If they want to walk away from the richest fight in the history of

the sport, that’s their decision.”

Kizer said the urine tests could play a part in breaking the

impasse, though Mayweather’s camp has said that blood tests are

necessary to find performance-enhancing drugs that may not be

detected by urine tests. Mayweather backed off earlier on a demand

for the tests to be conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency but

has insisted all along that they be done randomly and include blood

tests within 30 days before the fight.

Ellerbe said his fighter had already made many concessions to

get the fight, including the financial split, the penalty for

coming in at more than 147 pounds, and the gloves to be used. He

said there would be no further concession to meet Arum’s terms.

“There’s no way,” Ellerbe said. “The ball is in their court.

But you have to ask yourself why they aren’t willing to make sure

both fighters are clean to ensure that the biggest fight ever can

take place.”

Arum, who was vacationing in Mexico, did not immediately return

a phone call on the talks, which have grown increasingly

contentious over the past week.

Kizer said he informed both fighters that they must take the

urine tests, saying Pacquiao would have to find an accredited

agency to do his in the Philippines. The state of Nevada is paying

for the tests, which cost about $150.

“We’re always hopeful that when we do drug testing it comes

back negative,” Kizer said. “I don’t know if this will help the

chances of the fight happening. But with all this talk of drug

tests, let’s actually do one.”