source: Nick Giongco | mb.com.ph

If Manny Pacquiao eventually decides to fight somebody else other than Floyd Mayweather, the Filipino fighter won’t be able to justify the mythical title of pound-for-pound king, Mayweather’s key adviser told the Bulletin Sunday.

“Manny Pacquiao says he is the best fighter in the world but Floyd Mayweather knows he is the best fighter in the world,” said Leonard Ellerbe, who is Mayweather’s right-hand man.

“So this is the best fighting the best and Floyd is ready, willing and able to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao,” said Ellerbe, stressing that “they’re going to cheat the public if they go the other way and fight somebody else.”

The camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather have already dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts save for the demand of Mayweather for them both to undergo Olympic-style drug testing in a bid to “level the playing field.”

Ellerbe reiterated that Team Mayweather has remained firm in its stand for the two fighters to be tested randomly.

“Random blood and urine testing,” Ellerbe said.

Pacquiao, stung by Mayweather’s nasty accusations, has filed a defamation suit against Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), vehemently denying that he has ever taken performance-enhancing substance.

Still, Ellerbe believes there is no other sound alternative but for Pacquiao “to step up to plate” and junk plans to take on lesser-known foes like Yuri Foreman, the Belarus-born Israeli-raised current world super-welterweight champion who now fights out of Brooklyn, New York.

“Pacquiao has intelligent people around him who can advise him to step up to the plate,” said Ellerbe, rattling off Canadian Mike Koncz, lawyer Franklin Gacal and trainer Freddie Roach as men who can persuade Pacquiao to give in to their demands.

While Pacquiao is considering other options, Mayweather is not.

“Our focus is fighting Pacquiao. If they want to go the other way, then God bless them,” added Ellerbe.

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, back in Las Vegas from a week-long vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, also told this paper that there is still a chance to make the fight happen.

“We’re going to see on Monday or Tuesday,” said Arum, who has a backup plan already in place in the event both parties fail to meet halfway.

Arum said he was glad that Pacquiao “refused to be bullied and stood his ground” by filing a lawsuit against Mayweather and GBP.

Arum said Pacquiao will fight either March 13 or 20 and that there are interested parties in hosting a Pacquiao fight, including the Cowboys Stadium of Texas billionaire Jerry Jones.

“There’s also Atlanta (wanting to host a Pacquiao fight),” Arum said.

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