By Ryan Dunn: At the post fight conference following Manny Pacquiao’s surgical destruction of Antonio Margarito, Bob Arum wasted no time getting back to business. We boxing fans are all intimately aware of the previous two negotiations to put Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. inside the squared circle together. We know them intimately, even though they both failed.

Third time’s a charm? Maybe. Here’s what Bob Arum had to say.

“I will have Todd Duboef place a call directly to Floyd. Todd will ask one question and one question only, and that is whether Floyd wants to fight Manny.”

It looks like he is avoiding mediation this time, and going directly to the source. This is a good first step. He went on from there.

“If Floyd’s answer is yes about fighting Manny, then Todd will ask for Floyd’s expressed permission to call his criminal lawyer. Todd will ask the lawyer if he can be sure if Floyd will be available, not on trial or otherwise occupied, on specific dates.”

For those not in the know, Mayweather has been charged on eight criminal counts, including four felonies (robbery, grand larceny, and two counts of coercion for threatening his children). Arum wants to be sure that he can put a date in the books, and not have Mayweather end up at a courthouse or (worse) in prison.

Floyd has been seen gallivanting with Don King of late, which created some questions as to where Floyd’s loyalties lie. Arum didn’t seem to care.

“If Todd gets a good answer from the lawyer, then Todd calls Floyd directly one more time. Todd will ask Floyd: ‘Who is your chosen representative? Who should we sit down with to to put this fight together?'”

If we are to take Arum at his word, the chatter should begin shortly. I appreciate the simplicity of his approach this time around, but as with anything to do with Pacquiao or Mayweather, nothing is ever that simple.

So sit back, kick up your feet, and let’s all watch the soap opera unfold for the greatest fight that hasn’t even happened yet.