By Ronnie Nathanielsz

THE mega-buck fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Britain?s Ricky Hatton is off.

?It?s kaput,? said Pacquiao?s lawyer Franklin ?Jeng? Gacal.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, in an overseas conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports around noon, said: ?The Hatton people have been very patient. They have told [Richard] Schaefer that tomorrow morning [London time], they are calling a press conference announcing that they are calling off the fight.?

Arum said he had informed Gacal that he ?has to have a signed copy of the contract by 6 p.m. [Manila time]. If I don?t, have it faxed to my house, I can?t prevent these people from pulling the plug.?

But in a text message two hours before the deadline expired, Gacal said his client won?t sign.

?They gave us a deadline until 6 p.m. Manny won?t sign what?s on the table. So I think it?s kaput,? said Gacal.

Arum confirmed what he told Standard Today the other day that he had been able to get Pacquiao a 52-48 revenue split from the original 50-50 deal and raised the guaranteed purse from the $11 million the Pacman got in the Oscar de la Hoya fight to $12 million for the Hatton showdown.

?I don?t know what these people want anymore. If it won?t happen, it won?t happen,? an exasperated Arum said.

Arum, at the same time, indicated that if the Hatton fight is off, ?I have no idea what Plan B is.?

Arum said Pacquiao, the world?s no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, will be back to getting $2 to $3 million a fight. He speculated that Pacquiao might just have to sit out the rest of the year.

In pushing the urgency of Pacquiao agreeing to the deal as outlined in the latest contract submitted to him, Arum said: ?He?s got a few more hours.?

Gacal, late Tuesday night, confirmed that Arum was not prepared to raise the guaranteed purse any higher than he had already done and had given the Filipino champ an ultimatum, otherwise, the fight would be off.