I love boxing. I love watching boxing. And yet again, the sport shoots itself in the foot by not giving the fans what they want.
According to ESPN.com, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum announced that, “The fight’s off.” The fight in question is the potential super-duper-mega-huge match between the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Both fresh off of impressive victories in 2009 and both saying they want this fight to happen. The deal that was on the table would, most likely, not only shatter pay-per-view records and generate a possible $200 million in revenue, but net each fighter in the neighborhood of $40 million each. Each! And you can’t iron out details for $40M?
[adinserter block=”1″]Everything was set. The date. The venue. The purse. The gloves. Until drug testing came into play. There are rules about urine testing set by the Nevada Athletic Commission, so those aren’t up for discussion. But on the subject of blood, there was a divide. Pacquiao agreed to 3 blood tests: at the beginning of the press tour, 30 days before, and right after the fight. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style, totally random drug testing throughout and then alleged that Pacquiao was not entirely clean. (“It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night.” – Floyd Maywather Jr, December 23, 2009) Pacquiao is superstitious about drawing blood too close to a fight, but he did propose the compromise of a test 24 days before the fight. Mayweather refused. They tried mediation. Mayweather refused. On the basis of the drug testing.
Mayweather doesn’t want to fight him. Pure and simple. Pacquiao is the only fighter who can beat him. And not only beat him, but destroy him. And he knows it. I said it on the air when he beat up Juan Manuel Marquez for 12 rounds in September. I said it to anyone who would listen when he retired. So I am convinced that his un-retirement, these negotiations, and the PED allegations are all a set up by Mayweather try and save face. And even if he relents and actually steps in the ring in the future, he’s set up the perfect excuse. That Pacquiao must have cheated to beat him.
[adinserter block=”2″]Mayweather cherishes his undefeated record so much that he is willing to walk away from $40M. He talks all the time about how everything he has is paid for, all the money he has, his cars, his house, all the money he has, and…all the money he has. So maybe…and I can’t even believe I’m writing this…$40 million doesn’t actually matter to him. $40 million doesn’t buy him the one thing he wants – to be known as one of the greatest fighters of all time, if not the best. And one loss may take that away from him. He can say for years he was the best fighter in the world and that no one could beat him. He fought Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marquez… Fought ‘em all and never lost! In 20 years, will we remember a fight that didn’t happen? Pacquiao has 3 loses, how could he be better? Mayweather is betting on history to declare him the best, but only if he avoids Pacquiao.
So now its time for lawsuits and jabs in the press from both sides, which is typical. Though I have a question for Oscar de la Hoya, who posted a blog on The Ring magazine, casting doubt on Pacquiao’s PED cleanliness – have you ever had Olympic-style, blood testing before any of your fights? If not, how do we know you were clean? See how easy it is to launch allegations?
Hopefully, this gets worked out and boxing fans get the fight we want. And the fight boxing needs. – “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause
Chris Cause is the co-host for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT
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RUSSELL…. HERE IS THE TRUTH
Russell, you're being biased. What does this mean??? "Well, first off, the Golden Boy doesn’t live where all this stuff is actually made, but Pacquiao is so obviously it would be easy to get." — The Golden boy? On Golden Promotions is Shane Mosley… he TOOK STEROIDS, yet no one has asked him for this crap. And, for your information, BLOOD TESTING SHOWS NOTHING THAT URINE DOES NOT. Boxing, news to you, probably, is the most tested sport for ANY kind of illegal substance. Urine tests are more than sufficient, why hasn't Mayweather ever asked anyone else for a blood test? Manny AGREED to giving blood up to 23 days to the fight, Mayweather contradicted himself on TV, in an interview, he said, "I even offered him up to 24 days and he wouldn't take it." Manny ALSO agreed TO RIGHT AFTER THE FIGHT, if he was taking something for the fight, it would show up in the blood after the fight definitely — The other day, Mayweather says, "Olympic style testing, the day of the fight." NO BOXER DICTATES THE RULES OF BOXING. Manny has NEVER tested for ANYTHING wrong. The ONLY reason that they do that Olympic style blood testing is so they can compare it to years before and after – SINCE THE OLYMPICS ARE EVERY FOUR YEARS – thus, its' called "Olympic style TESTING" — Manny gets weary three days or so after taking a blood test, he could have, and I feel he would still knock out Fraud "Needs Money" Mayrunner who hasn't fought a WELTERWEGIHT SINCE 2006. — DO YOU KNOW, that Mayweather, at Welterweight, had a choice, for the same amount, 2 million dollars, to fight Antonio Margarito, number one ranked welter, OR Carlos Baldomir, who had 9 losses and 6 draws. Who did he fight? He won a boring decision over Baldomir, then went up to jr middle, 154, to fight number five ranked De La hoya, who was coming off getting KNOCKED OUT (the whole thing about him having "a title at 154 was a set up" — I'll tell ya about it if ya want) — Mayweather won a BORING decision agaisnt De La Hoya, he hit and ran, De La Hoya pressed the action, Mayweather NEVER WANTED TO EXCHANGE, and since Mayweather started at 130 and went up to 154 – he won "titles" in FIVE weight classes, Oscar SIX, Manny SEVEN, SO WHY WASN"T MAYWEATHER TESTED, or DE LA HOYA? Mayweather came back from 154 and instead of fighting Welterweights Margarito, Mosley, Cotto, Paul Williams, he fought the JR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION, backed up the whole time, yet KO'd him in the 10th, then RETIRED. At Jr Lightweight it's a FACT that he ducked Casamayor and Freitas. I guess you wouldn't know that. Did you see his first fight with Jose Luis Castillo? ANYONE I ever talked to, I have on DVD, I can send you a copy for free, Mayweather lost, agasint Zab Judah, Judah hit him low, and Roger came in the ring so he Mayweather should have been DISQUALIFIED. I'll end with your quote as to how Manny could get Steroids EASIER than Mayweather. Um… what basis is that on? Manny lives in the Phillipines, and lived in poverty, and fought as a way to get off the streets, Mayweather was BRED to be a boxer, his Father and Uncle were FAILED boxers, yet he was gonna be one. IF YOU WANT TO TALK CHARACTER, the Mayweather's, Well, Floyd was in trouble for beating his wife or girfriend, when FLOYD started boxing, FLOYD SR WAS IN PRISON FOR SELLING DRUGS, DRUGS, DRUGS, Roger Mayweather is GOING TO PRISON FOR BEATING HIS GIRLFRIEND, they're convicted felon criminal scum, Floyd Sr put his son at risk, holding him while he got SHOT… and FLOYD HATES HIS DAD. ONE MORE… A recent conersation had a journalist talking to a guy and the trainer said, "His dad is protecting him." HUH? "Floyd Sr. was training Hatton against Pacquiao, I watched that tape, Floyd Sr. heard that punch that KO'd Hatton in the second, after Hatton was down twice in the first. He was scared for his son" AND IT'S TRUE THAT SR STARTED THIS WHOLE THING. You don't know boxing, BOXING PEOPLE KNOW FLOYD DOES NOT WANT TO FIGHT HIM, Marquez started as low in weight as Pac Man, Marquez lost at Featherweight, why didn't Floyd TEST HIM????? AND THIS one person says, "This was gonna be the first boxing PPV I ordered?" Huh? You weren't interested in… Holyfield – Tyson 2, Lewis – Tyson (Pac Man opened for that fight) Jones – Ruiz, Jones – Tarver 2, Hopkins – Tarver, Hopkins – Calzaghe, Hopkins – Pavlik, Pacquaio – Morales, Pacquiao – De La Hoya, Hatton, Mayweather – De La Hoya, Mayweather vs I can't think of any other opposition Floyd fought people would pay to see.
These are the people Floyd Mayweather, Greatest EVER, beat for his "titles"
jr lightweight – G. Hernandez
lightweight – Castillo
Jr Welter – Gatti
Welter – Baldomir
Jr Middle – De La Hoya
HERE IS PACQUIAO FROM FEATHERWEIGHT
Feather – Barrerra
jr light – Marquez
light – D. Diaz
Jr Welter – Hatton
Welter – Cotto
Pacquaio is fighting a great welter in Joshua Clottey in Cowboys Stadium, fighting the winnner of unifctaion fight Mosely – Berto — while Floyd… he's gonna fight Pauli Malignaggi who is a jr welterweight and has 3 losses, one to Cotto, one to Ricky Hatton, and in 25 wins has 5 knockouts, HA, his other options are MATTHEW HATTON who has four losses and a draw against N'Dou with 10 losses, or HE MAY REMATCH RICKY HATTON… FOR WHAT?
Well, first off, the Golden Boy doesn't live where all this stuff is actually made, but Pacquiao is so obviously it would be easy to get. To me that raises a big flag.
Furthermore every "concession" Pacquiao made still would allow him to dope it up fairly easily. Everyone knows urine testing is a joke and no one cares if testing blood goes against his superstition, grow up Manny. And he must think everyone is an idiot if we are to believe that taking a small sample of blood would weaken his strength…
To me, it sounds like Mayweather knows something is up, maybe he heard rumors somewhere but for 40 Million dollars I would do Olympic style drug testing for the rest of my life, and Pacquiao doesn't want to do it for three months? It just doesn't pass the smell test, at all.
Mayweather is a lot stuff, but he isn't stupid, he knows how it is in the boxing world. Everyone said Canseco was crazy but we all know how that turned out..
If I were Mayweather I would ask for hair follicle testing, from my understanding that would show everything without violating supersitions or whatever other BS Manny wants to put out there..
Thanks for checking in Russell. This isn't my article, but I do own the site. I have another article up reflecting more or less your opinions. I agree with you. I have a big issue when any athlete is so adamant against getting drug tested. I know his excuse about blood being drawn, but he had it drawn for the Hatton fight and looked perfectly fine with it. I am actually rather surprised that Money is getting the blunt of the backlash here.
This really disappoints me. I was looking forward to this as being my first PPV fight ever. I hope this is just feeding into the hype machine.