As we wrap up one of the best years in boxing in recent memory, boxing’s ugly face has suddenly re-appeared. When Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao quickly agreed to terms on their mega-showdown for March 13, 2010, we all jumped for you. We should have known better.
An increasingly nasty disagreement between Golden Boy Promotions (representing Mayweather) and Top Rank (representing Pacquiao) over the parameters of blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs is seriously threatening the fight from happening.
Below, I re-state key points made by both sides in this bloody mess. In italics, I tell you what I really think is going on.
Mayweather’s Case: Why Olympic-style Blood Testing Is A No-Brainer
- In the sport’s biggest fight in years, it’s only natural that its two combatants be subject to the most rigorous testing to ensure that no foul play is at hand. Marion Jones and numerous other track stars showed that the Olympic-style United States Anti-Doping Agency tests could be beat. So their test is far from perfect. Some think Mayweather is merely trying to get into Pacquiao’s head and distract him before their showdown. Others think it’s a not-so-sneaky way to suggest that Pacquiao is a cheater and to subject him to random testing in order to confirm those suspicions. I say it’s a little bit of both.
- If Mayweather has to accept Pacquiao’s demands of using smaller gloves (8 ounces), which favors Pacquiao based on Floyd’s history of hand troubles, as well as the unprecedented “$10 million/per pound-over-the-weight-limit” penalty, what’s the big fuss over Pacquiao conceding to this Mayweather demand? Not since Sugar Ray Leonard’s demands of a larger ring and a 12-round limit (rather than 15) against Marvelous Marvin Hagler nearly 25 years ago, have I seen such pre-fight contractual posturing. Any coincidence that Arum was also involved then (on behalf of Leonard)? In short, Mayweather has a point here.
Pacquiao’s Case: Why Olympic-style Blood Testing Is Unnecessary
- Random blood testing is impractical and dangerous, especially if it is conducted within weeks or days of the actual fight. Losing blood so close to fight time can weaken a fighter. From everything I have read, the amount of blood taken for these tests is not exactly pint-sized. Meaning that it would be unlikely to limit either fighter. And two, even if it did, wouldn’t both fighters be impacted in the same way?
- This is merely an attempt by Mayweather to sully Pacquiao’s reputation and imply that he is a cheater. Pacquiao’s handlers are probably right here. However, if they turn down the biggest payday in boxing history to fight Paulie Malignaggi (one of Pacquiao’s biggest accusers to-date) instead, my eyebrows will be on the back of my neck.
- Why should Pacquiao have to be subjected to unprecedented blood testing procedures when he’s been clean on all tests mandated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and other municipalities across the world just because Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions want him to? I’m paraphrasing Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum here, and he’s right. But he also knows better. From Sugar Ray Leonard’s aforementioned ‘advantages’ in his fight with Hagler, to Bernard Hopkins’s insistence that Joe Cortez not referee his fight against Felix Trinidad, all fighters and their promoters use their influence to tip superfights in their favor. This is no different.
When it’s all said and done, money will prove thicker than blood. Expect this fight to happen on March 13, 2010. If it doesn’t, then shame on everyone involved. Boxing has had its fair share of black eyes over the years. A cold, raw steak is often used to reduce the swelling, but this black eye would require an entire cow. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
What’s your take on this bloody mess?
I really think Mayweather will beat pac-man in any situation,you people said Hatten was going to beat Mayweather,we all know what happen their.The same thing is going to happen to pac-man,he is going to get knock out,or beat up,watch and see.
Only a fool would believe that pac-man doesnt want to take the blood test because it will weaken him or beacause he is affraid of needles. He is a roid-head all they way just like the mlb home run phenom and how long did it take for the world to figure that out. Just for arguments sake, if taking a little blood test does make him weak then floyd mayweather will also be weak from the exact same blood test so what the Fu@K is the problem? The problem is that the world will find out that the lil midget pac-man is on roids and thats why he moved across 7 weight classes so quick, just like how barry bonds and mark maguire hit so many bull sh$t homeruns. The most hardest evidence that proves that is that pac-man is willing to fight paul malignaggi (who publically acused pac-man of steroid use) so that proves that he is a roid head if he wont agree to floyds blood test demands and says that mayweather is doing this to imply that pac-man uses roids yet he is willing to fight malignaggi? No phillipino in the world can fight (there small and weak), let alone fight the way pac-man has over the years. Just take the blood test so the world can see your success is a product of really good drugs that you shoot in your but with a NEEDLE the same kind of needles your supposedly scared of with the blood test, you fake flip!!
Pacquiao, prove the world wromg! Take the test and prove yourself in the ring! If you don’t, my friend you have labeled yourself as a smack user!
ENOUGH OF ALL THIS BULLSHIT BY MAYWEATHER CAMP. COME’ON PEOPLE, LOOK WHOS TALKING AND THEY MAKE THEMSELVES LIKE THE AUTHORITIES WHEN NEVADA IS FAR BETTER THAN THEY DO. WHO THE HELL IS MAYWEATHER TO ASK PACQUIAO TO DO ALL THIS RAMDOM DRUG TESTING, WHEN NEVADA HAS ITS OWN RULES ALREADY. SO WHY IS HE COMING UP WITH ALL THIS DEMANDS. ISNT THAT A CLEAR INDICATION THAT HIS JUST LOOKING FOR HOLES TO EITHER DELAY THE SCHEDULED FIGHT, OR PERHAPS NOT WANTING TO FIGHT AT ALL…. CAUSE MAYWEATHER IS SCARED IN HIS SHIT.
MAYWEATHER IS NOTHING BUT MOUTH. HE JUST POP UP IN THE AIR WANTING TO RIDE THE GREATNESS OF PACQUIAO. LOOK AT THE FIGURES.., HOW MANY WATCH MAYWEATHER FIGHT, EVEN THE LAST ONE WITH MARQUEZ. NOT EVEN HALF OF HARLEM WOULD CHEER HIM. HE CANT EVEN SATISFY THE PAY-PER-VIEW STATS.
YET HERES THE TRUTH, PACQUIAO CARRIES A LOT OF SPONSOR AND WOULD DEFINITELY LANDSLIDE THOSE PAY-PER-VIEW. INDEED THE WHOLE PHILIPPINES STOPS JUST TO WATCH AND GIVE THEIR FULL HEART SUPPORT TO PACQUIAO. THUS MAYWEATHER HAS THAT CHARM ? I DONT THINK SO, I’VE LIVE HERE IN HARLEM FOR YEARS AND I KNOW THE BROTHERHOOD.
SO SPEAKING OF THOSE DRUGS MAYWEATHER IS CRYING FOR. COME’ON YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT. MAYWEATHER HAS HAD IT AT LEAST ONCE IN HIS LIFE… EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. CAUSE IT WAS JUST PART OF GROWING UP IN HIS HOOD. WANNA BET, ASK HIS FATHER… THE SENIOR KNOWS BETTER. AND THATS WHY HE CAN’T TRUST HIS FATHER BETTER THAN HIS UNCLE. AND THAT IS A FACT, SO HE FIRED HIS FATHER BEFORE AS HIS TRAINOR.
WHILE WITH PACQUIAO, HE STARTED FROM A VERY POOR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HE DOESNT EVEN KNOW HOW CRACKS LOOKS LIKE, NEVER EVEN HEARD. DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT STEROID IS. SO WHAT THE HELL IS MAYWEATHER IS MOUTHING FOR.
FURTHERMORE, WHAT IS MAYWEATHER DOING WITH ALL HIS MILLIONS TO HELP THE BROTHERHOOD.. NOTHING !
STILL HIS LIVING THEM BEHIND TO DEPEND FROM FOOD-STAMPS. I KNOW THAT AS A FACT, AS I SAID I’VE LIVE HERE IN HARLEM FOR MANY YEARS. AND I SEE MANY BROTHERS OF MINE NOT EVEN WANTING TO TALK OF MAYWEATHER, CAUSE HE IS NOTHING FOR THEM.
WHILE WITH PACQUIAO, THE WHOLE PHILIPPINE NATION COULD AT LEAST PRAISE HIM FOR THE PROJECTS HE STARTED TO HELP AND LIFT THE POOR. HE HAS PUT UP SOME HOUSING PROJECTS, A FOUNDATION FOR THE NEEDY, A SERVICE FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND MANY MORE. FINALLY, HIS RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE IN THE CONGRESS IN THERE LONE DISTRICT, SO HE COULD FIND MORE WAYS TO HELP FILIPINOS.
PEOPLE, DONT BE CARRIED AWAY WITH ALL THIS BULLSHIT OF MAYWEATHER. LOOK FOR THE FACT. MAYWEATHER DONT MAKE THE RULES AND HIS NOT THE RULLER. HIS JUST ONE AMONG OTHER PLAYER’S LIKE PACQUIAO. LETS LIVE EVERYTHING TO THE NEVADA OFFICIALS, THEY ARE THE ONE WHO CALL’S FOR THE SHOT.
PACQUIAO HAS SUBMITTED HIMSELF IN ALL THE NEVADA RULES FOR THE PAST. AND THERE WAS NEVER A PROBLEM. I BET ALL HIS PREVIOUS FIGHT CAN SPEAK FOR IT. NO DEMANDS NOR COMPLAIN, YOU NAME IT…. COTTO; DELA HOYA; HATTON; DIAZ… etc.etc.. NOTHING BUT PRAISE TO ONCE WAS THEIR FOE, BUT NOW THEIR FRIEND.
LASTLY, IF THE FIGHT DONT PUSH THROUGH, PACQUIAO GOT NOTHING TO LOSE. THEY COULD ALWAYS FIND ANOTHER OPPONENT WHO COULD BE MUCH MORE BRAVE AND GETLEMEN TO MEET PACQUIAO IN THE RING. AND NOT SOMEONE LIKE MAYWEATHER WHOS FIST IS IN HIS MOUTH.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS MAYWEATHER LOSSES HIS CHANCE AND WHERE IN THE WORLD WILL THEY FIND A FIGHT FOR HIM. CAUSE ITS A FACT NO ONE WILL WATCH HIS NEXT FIGHT… I BET YOU THAT 100 %. ANY SPONSOR OUT THERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PUT THEIR NAME ON MAYWEATHER… HELLO, NO ONE WOULD VIEW HIM. SO HOW COULD THEY MAKE MONEY ON HIM, NOT EVEN ON PAY-PER-VIEW.
WHILE WITH PACQUIAO, WHEREVER HE GOES, AND WHENEVER HIS NEXT FIGHT… THE MONEY IS THERE $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
BRYAN GARCIA
EAST HARLEM
NEW YORK NY
PBF doesn’t have a leg to stand on:
He HAS busted the weight limit on his very LAST fight because he only had to pay $600,000 –well worth it for him to mark another “win”, therefore Pac has a legitimate demand here.
The blood test demands stem from the original slander started by Floyd Senior last summer. What could be more outrageous than a convicted drug dealer would smear an innocent man but this is the world we live in! It is even more despicable that Golden Boy would join this uneducated dolt to try to pressure Pac into USADA tests when
1) DeLa Hoya has a PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP with the HEAD of this group
2) GB PREVENTED just such a test on Mosley –an ADMITTED STEROID USER- even though that killed the Judah fight
Faced with this hypocrisy I don’t even want to see this fight.
What I DO want to see is the righteous LAWSUIT against PBF and GB!
Pacquiao will find plenty of more exciting opponents than Floyd the Faker.
you are full of shit! random blood tests are common in sports from athletics to cycling and not one person has ever (out of probably hundreds who’ve undergone this type of testing) complained of the procedure EXCEPT manny, now the question is why is that? besides floyd is subject to the exact same procedure, if it is as “dangerous” as you claim it is then floyd will be similarly affected so noone gets any advantage. Besides i’m betting that there is not one iota of scientific proof that you can provide to back up your ridiculous claims if you do have any please post a link so we can all see it. The fact remains that manny is hiding something which is why he wants to when the tests will take place so he can effectively conceal whatever it is that he’s taking.
What’s the difference if they get blood from Manny after the last
round?
Would they not be able to detect any “drugs” in that case?
I believe Pacquiao is trying to dodge a fight when it is clear to most of us experts that Mayweather is the better fighter. As a boxer, if i were accused of being a cheater, I would take the blood test and silence all of my skeptics. For some reason Pacquiao seems to believe that his blood his thicker that money and his blood is wort more tan the fight. What is in is blood that makes him so valuable?
Very simply,
Whatever mind games may or may not be associated with an Olympic style drug test they are merely MIND games, not PHYSICAL games. Would Bob Arum care to explain to me why he considers MIND games unfair? If anything, an olympic style drug test would only serve to legitamize Pacquiao’s success over his career, especially if it can be stamped with a win over Floyd Mayweather. This is a chance to put all speculation to rest, and not under any unreasonable terms. Athletes are subjected to this kind of testing all the time, and I’m sure the general public would have nothing against measures to further ensure fairness in the sports they watch. I’m offended that Bob Arum is even trying to convince anyone that this is some unbelievably absurd and unfair request, especially when BOTH fighters would be subjected to it. Mayweather’s hand is already in the huddle, will someone in Pacquiao camp please reach out and touch it? Thank you.
Pacquiao agreed to have blood test after the fight. If he wins but gets tested positive, his victory gets nullified and Floyd M still gets a clean zero loss record . WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT ???
Mayweather is a coward and only wants to destroy the Pacman’s rythmn with his ludicrous pre fight test demands.
Yeah! Pacman is a steroid user…He has been since he began boxing…haha…People these days…They make funny excuses to get away from a situation that they don’t want to be in…Who started this whole Gayweather vs Pacman shiiiit anyway? I think it was the arrogant and ignorant mouth of MR. Mayweather…Don’t challenge someone you don’t want to face in the first place…Now run along…