By Edward Chaykovsky

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum has called for negotiations to begin for a mega-match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, says the sport of boxing deserves the Mayweather-Pacquiao battle.

Both of the boxers have scheduled returns in the first half of 2014. Pacquiao will be back on April 12 in Las Vegas, with WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley being pushed as the frontrunner to face him. Mayweather will be back on May 3rd, also in Las Vegas, at the MGM Grand. Mayweather's rumored opponent is British star Amir Khan.

Arum says he is waiting for someone to make contact, on behalf of Mayweather, to begin the negotiations.

"Yes [the fight can be made], if people stop posturing. Absolutely. It can happen. It's stupid if it doesn't happen. They owe it to the sport. What, is Mayweather going to fight Amir Khan? Who gives a sh*t? We've announced we're willing to make anything happen. Now somebody has got to contact us so we can sit down and explore how it can happen. Isn't that the way normal people deal? You can't wave a wand. I've said unequivocally, we're ready to sit down and see if a deal can be reached," Arum told USA Today.