As we wrap up one of boxing’s best years in recent memory, the sport’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 think it’s just a marketing idea by Floyd, or maybe even both sides, to get more people talking about the fight so that more people will be interested in paying for it on pay per view.
I hope that you are right kevin…if you ain’t, this will be the biggest self-sabotage in recent memory.
mayweather realized he cannot beat pacquiao & is chickening out. this is his way of “getting out of the fight” without losing face
rickyp: totally disagree…too much money to be made for the opportunistic Mayweather to NOT want this fight. if he wanted out, i’d suspect that he woulda never agreed to the glove or weight clauses or purse split…honestly i think 1) he wanted to get under pacquiao’s skin – mission accomplished and 2) he wanted to really see if pacquiao and his people may be hiding something – hard to tell, but arum and pacquiao’s inconsistent and ever-changing reasons for not taking the fight do raise eyebrows. but enough speculation, the fight needs to be made…period.
Its only fair if some one has suspicion of taking an illegal substance of any kind just prove that your not and thats it! Whats the big deal take the test if your not doing anything and move on. Its simple if your innocent than prove it. No need for name calling be adult about it and thats that!
Pacman just got eaten by a ghost this is bs all I’ve benn hearing is how maywether was going to back out but its not him its pacman shame on any one who doubt the wrong guy cause you guys said he wouldn’t fight pac but here he is they want small gloves he said yes they want 10mil per pound over147 he said yes he ask 4 one thing they wanna back out wow and the best part is this money mey it would be all on him that’s why I love the media pac stop with the bs and fight him oh and malignaggi realy lol
@Digitallu…You would think taking any and all tests would end this charade, right? With that being said, maybe this really is a hype ploy?
@darnell…what’s your prediction on PacMan vs the Magic Man (Malignaggi)? 🙂
Greetings, I appreciate all the comments on this subject and agree with quite a few and considered all points. All I would like to see is a professional sport in boxing. However, look at America’s history of sport and tell the only sport left with any integrity is the professional golfers association. Boxing has been full of misdeeds as long as I have been around. That’s not to say that all matches were thrown from different methods. The bottom line for me is that I would like to see Manny close that smart mouth of Floyd…nobody likes a smart !@#$%.
Floyd is very very confident fighter he gave pac man all he wanted all he asked was for a olympic style blood test pac refuses HHMMM? It could be that Floyd is asking for the blood test because he was told by Micheal Moore that manny was on somthing that wont get picked up in the urine remeber Moore was in the camp and was fired by pac and roach Moore is from Detriot floyd is from grand rapids Michigan. Pac refusal makes me think twice. he came from 106lbs and brought more speed more power up to 147lbs his last 4 fights all of the loser have gone to the hospital. HEY PAC MAN TAKE THE TEST
@DENNIS That is why this fight may come close to 3 million PPV buys…many folks wanna see Mayweather get blasted and many folks love Pacquiao’s fighting style. The blood beef makes this fight even more dramatic. I’m so hyped, I’ll be writing two, maybe three, preview pieces on the fight when it arrives.
@uncrowned champion Let me guess, Michael Moore’s next documentary will be called “Blood Money?” 🙂
rickyp, great piece on how full of it both sides are in this mess/pre-fight hype (smile)….
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-boxmess122909&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
thats the beauty of hbo boxing marketing and promoting a free society, where there is no dictator, but rather contracts for each event
enough BS…mayweather is simply chicken shit, why? they can draw all the blood they want from both of the fighters & specially from pacquiao IMMEDIATELY after the fight, via olympic style or nevada style…all to mayweather & his follower’s satisfaction…so why insist on random & many draws?…because mayweather is using that as a reason not to get in the ring with pacquiao!
rickyp, indeed it now does not look too good for floyd, but i think this is a case of massive egos at play…no way a man who calls himself ‘money’ is knowingly willing to blow $40-45 million big ones because he’s scared of another boxer.
he just did…
He’s too greedy for that…there is something else going on here. Besides, I don’t think any boxer can truly be scared per se. The nature of the sport, in which you can die in any fight, requires that basic lack of fear.