Pacquiao has been angered by the Mayweather camp’s insistence on doping control blood tests in the buildup to their welterweight showdown – a demand that has the March 13 fight in doubt.

“Calling a professional athlete a cheater is the most serious charge one can make,” the lawsuit says, “and in today’s world, accusing an athlete of using performance-enhancing drugs – however baseless and lacking in evidence – is toxic.”

The lawsuit refers to several interviews given by the Mayweather camp, including the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather, Jr. comments in a radio interview in October about Pacquiao’s physical development, when he quoted: “cause we know the Philippines got the best enhancing drugs.”

Also quoted in the suit were Mayweather’s remarks published in the UK newspaper The Guardian, in which Mayweather said he had “great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night.”

The lawsuit asks for damages in excess of 75,000 dollars and names Mayweather, his father, Floyd Sr, and uncle Roger Mayweather as defendants. Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, who operate Golden Boy Promotions and are promoting Mayweather, are also named as having “stated publicly that Pacquiao has used and is using performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids.”

The Los Angeles Times Wednesday that Bob Arum is preparing to open negotiations with WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman if the Mayweather-Pacquiao will not happen.

Arum quoted “This is only my opinion, but I don’t see the fight happening now, positions are hardening … Manny’s fit to be tied. He’s very angry.”

Arum acknowledged there could still be a breakthrough, but said: “It might be best to visit this fight later in 2010.

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