The Floyd Mayweather - Manny Pacquiao Fallout Begins To Haunt Boxing

Written by Tim Starks
Friday, 15 January 2010 00:12

night-of-the-living-dead-posterWe're not supposed to be saying the zed-word, I know. We did the autopsy of Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao and we'd begun moving on. But a development like this -- it doesn't just get buried, never to surface again. This is the kind of thing that hangs around for a while, and we're going to have to live with it, even if it's dead.
Pacquiao Mayweather 24/7 Episodes, Pacquiao vs Mayweather, Pacquiao vs Mayweather News, Pacquiao vs Mayweather Online Live Str
The rehashing continues, and some of it is worth visiting. The projecting what will happen next continues, and it, too, is worth visiting. There are news developments to consider; there are ways in which we should maybe be thinking about how the media -- which includes myself -- and we, as fans of the sport, could do better.

Be forewarned: This is rambling material that borders on free association. It is befitting a flood of information and fallout for which patterns are only just emerging, of opinions expressed and trends manifested that are scattershot.

The Blame Game

There was some complaining in the comments section of a recent blog entry I did that the media somehow helped kill Mayweather-Pacquiao, and I've still not heard anyone give a good explanation of how. It's certainly not always covered itself in glory -- I'll get to that in a second -- but there has been some good reporting on the whole affair, and some of the best came from Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports and Dan Rafael of ESPN. In recent days, both have written columns that appropriately condemn all sides. But they've also shed light on the situation.

Rafael, on what's next for both men:

In fact, if you take a look at the poll that has been running on the ESPN.com boxing page for the last couple of days, it asks simply: "Will you watch the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight at Cowboys Stadium?" The results are stunning. With more than 49,000 votes in early Wednesday evening (and still counting), it was 69-31 against watching the fight. If you examine the breakdown of the state-by-state vote, every state had voted in the majority against watching the fight except Hawaii, which has a large Filipino population... Mayweather, meanwhile, plans to fight the same night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and seems headed for a match with either Paulie Malignaggi or Nate Campbell... If you think the ESPN.com poll numbers are bad for Pacquiao-Clottey, the numbers for a Mayweather-Malignaggi/Campbell poll should be much, much worse.

All right, so all he did was report on the results of a poll, but I hadn't noticed it, so it was news to me. What does the poll say? It says that Pacquiao and Mayweather have done such severe damage to the sport, and to themselves, that nobody wants to see them fight.

Iole, meanwhile, offers up compelling evidence that Mayweather either never really cared about random blood testing, the final sticking point on the fight, or else his team was woefully ill-informed about how performance-enhancing drugs work:

Mayweather eventually compromised and was willing to set a blood-testing cutoff date 14 days before the bout, but that move was hollow. Several experts have told Yahoo! Sports that there are numerous performance-enhancing drugs, notably EPO, that clear the system in 2-4 days. As a result, a 14-day testing cutoff would have been useless.

That's real reporting, right there. Rafael and Iole both got into the nitty gritty of reporting the negotiations for this fight, and Iole in particular did a lot of fact-checking with real authorities on the topics at the center of debate. And these two men, the ones who I think covered this failure, came away with the same conclusion: Everyone -- Mayweather, Pacquaio, their teams -- was to blame. Rafael called the two key promoters, Top Rank and Golden Boy, "babies." The key promoters and managers, Iole said, "look like oafish boobs."

There are still people trying to pin the blame for what went wrong on one party or another. Dana White, who has grown on me as he has taken a more sensible public stance toward boxing, blamed Mayweather this week. Tim Smith blamed Pacquiao. And so on and so on. I respect that; it can come off as wishy-washy to blame everyone. But read the Iole and Rafael pieces, and see if you don't come to the conclusion I did earlier this week: There's blame enough for all parties to go around.

Bernard Fernandez, another veteran boxing writer, nominated everyone involved for a Darwin Award for walking away from that cash. And I agree; I think less of the intelligence of all sides after this. But while I think this Steve Kim piece flirts with glamorizing promoter Bob Arum's foolishness, I think it also sheds some important light on how Arum thought of it all. In Arum, we see pettiness, disdain for boxing fans and a figure who is more contemptible than commendable. But Arum sees himself differently. Per Kim (complete with funky punctuation):

Arum is at the stage of his life- especially when it comes to individuals he doesn’t particularly care for- that he’d rather hurt them, then help himself sometimes.

That's the caliber of person who maintains influence in boxing, friends. That's how someone thinks he's a big winner -- when he gets a kind of spiteful revenge on someone who rubs him the wrong way rather than enriching his bank account or giving his customers what they want. And it's all over the place. This business is loaded up with people who care only for their agendas, no matter how anti-fan or childish (Arum had the nerve this week to refer to Oscar De La Hoya's name-calling in his direction as "schoolyard" stuff; he was right, but it's not as if Arum has ever behaved like anything other than a child).

I can't be any clearer. There are no winners here, no matter how many write-ups explain who came out of this ahead. Maybe Arum doesn't care if he's reviled. Maybe Pacquiao feels like he stood on principle, or Mayweather feels good about himself because he can try to explain how it wasn't his fault he avoided another tough fight, or whatever. But only in a perverse sense of "victory" does Arum or anyone here "win." Everyone in this whole debacle comes off more loathed than before, less respected and regarded as "oafish boobs" and "babies." If they get any personal pleasure out of what they've done, then I pity them.

Bad Coverage, Bad Behavior

That's not to say there hasn't been some bad reporting. Some really bad reporting, in fact. The boxing media isn't exactly loaded up with journalists who adhere to strict standards or pay much attention to whether what they're writing is fair or has any principled role in holding the sport's powers to account. I tend to be hard on the media forces who are good, the Ring mags or Thomas Hausers, which I've been feeling bad about, because they're often the ones that get closest to reporting things out best. For instance, Ring has commissioned an investigative reporter to get into the whole steroids debate from the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations. That's good stuff.

But the best folks are often the ones who give credibility to shoddy information by virtue of reporting it. Observe the recent suspect reporting by Teddy Atlas, the ESPN broadcaster, and Tim Smith, the New York Daily News journo. Both are highly credible. So what they did in recent weeks highlighting alleged questions asked by the Pacquiao camp during negotiations about what would happen if Pacquiao tested positive for any PEDs had to be taken seriously. David P. Greisman of BoxingScene (open link with caution) recently did a good job raising important criticisms about Smith and Atlas delivering those reports the way they did. I'd like to second those points and raise some additional ones. In neither case did Atlas or Smith give even the vaguest hint of who their source was. It's one thing to use unnamed sources, but you usually need to provide some kind of information about where that sources sympathies lie, unless you have several of differing allegiances providing identical information. But both only quoted a single source, although Atlas initially said "sources." I've not worked at a single newspaper in my life -- and I've worked at a good number -- where you could quote one unnamed source, especially without giving some information to the reader about that person's bias, that paints someone in a highly negative light. Both Atlas and Smith should have strongly considered not reporting what they did under the circumstances. They also could help things by explaining in greater detail why they did what they did, but the one interview Atlas has done about this, at Boxingtalk, interviewer Greg Leon didn't ask any of the key questions, like these or the ones Greisman raised about whether Atlas saw the alleged e-mails himself. Sigh.

Generally speaking, we all would have been better off had no one reported the inflammatory, baseless allegations of Floyd Mayweather, Sr. that Pacquiao was on steroids. What the Mayweather camp was akin to an old trick in politics. George Kimball recalled a version of it thusly, from the early days of one of our presidents' political careers:

"Why don't we start a rumor that he [copulates with] sheep?" proposed the politician.

This was a bit over the top, even for Lyndon Johnson. The future president leapt to his feet and said, incredulously, "But you know Joe Bob don't [copulate with] sheep!"

"Yeah," replied the congressman, "but watch what happens when the son of a bitch has to stand up and deny it!"

I don't think journalism, let alone boxing journalism, has ever figured out how to handle stories like this. Mayweather said this in many places, and it was so sensational plenty of people wanted to write about it. I tried not writing about it at all, recognizing that the introduction of it into the discussion would have the exact effect it did on Joe Bob. But after a while, the media helped turn it into an "issue," and it couldn't be ignored. I felt compelled to respond to it, and by discussing it at all, it gave validity to the idea that it was worth rebutting. But this is as close as I come to thinking the media helped kill Mayweather-Pacquiao. And it was entirely predictable. It surely wasn't as damaging as anything anybody else I blamed did.

There has been a coarsening of the debate over the course of this fight being made and its fallout that comes from fans. Maybe the media as a messenger could have done a better job of filtering, but fans' hostilities has poisoned the atmosphere immensely. (A note on media/fan hybrids [I'm kind of one of them]: They have done their own damage to the atmosphere. I understand why people got mad at Atlas because of his on-air claims, and I understand this Examiner blogger, Dennis Guillermo, sticking up for fellow Examiner blogger Michael Marley when Atlas badmouthed Marley. I do not understand this piece calling Atlas "Teddy (Bundy) Atlas," thereby comparing him to a notorious rapist, necrophiliac and serial killer, then trying to rebut the notion from Atlas that Internet boxing writing is "dirty." Atlas is wrong to generalize so, but as rebuttals go, Guillermo's wasn't a success. I'd like to recommend the Examiner raise its standards for writers it will accept in their maniacal quest to get links from Pacland.)

There have been comments on this site lately about how the media contributed to the toxic negotiations. And I hate to pick on Pacquiao fans in particular, but too many of them who leave comments on this site and elsewhere are responsible for some of the most toxic rhetoric in the sport. I recently had to delete a comment from a Pacquiao fan calling Mayweather a "nigger," and it wasn't the first time. Too many of them have, in an attempt to jab at Mayweather, made remarks about him eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. Maybe they don't realize it, but it's a racial stereotype of some heft in the United States. Pacfans: You cannot repeatedly claim to be victims of racism when so many of you delve so frequently into racism. And this says nothing of the homophobia so many of you spew, with you're "Mayweather is acting gay" and "Gayweather" remarks. You can say it means something different in the Philippines, but this is an American website and in America, that's homophobia; you can't claim Americans don't understand your culture, then trample the norms of ours. And there is a constant leveling of baseless, unproven accusations from Pacquiao fans at everyone who isn't Pacquiao -- that a commenter is lying about having a Filipino wife, or that I hate Pacquiao (I am a fan) or anything else under the sun. You can't complain about Mayweather lobbing baseless accusations at Pacquiao if you lob baseless accusations yourself. And if it seems like I'm picking on Pacquiao fans to exclusion -- and believe me, as a Pacquiao fan myself, I know that not all of them do these things -- you should know that while fans of other fighters sometimes indulge in similar behavior, the vast majority of the ugly, inappropriate comments left on this site are from Pacquiao fans from the Philippines. Consider if that's the reputation you want to have on the international boxing scene.

I am strongly contemplating deleting more comments than I do now and banning users, because I can only stomach so much of it. You've been warned. End civility lecture.

What's Next

OK, so: Pacquiao's opponent is settled March 13 -- Joshua Clottey at welterweight. That didn't keep Juan Manuel Marquez from claiming that Pacquiao is scared of him, when really the problem was that Marquez demanded the exact same conditions of Pacquiao that Mayweather did and Pacquiao rejected, but at a fraction of the potential windfall of cash. My love of Marquez is well-known, but, uh... dude says some things that make him sound like an arrogant dolt sometimes. There's no way around it.

That means Mayweather's opponent remains the only unsettled point in the whole fallout in the immediate future. There is a movement afoot to get Mayweather to fight Paul Williams, if he insists on a dueling pay-per-view March 13. It's a sound proposal, and one I've already advanced. But I just want to second that. Williams' people would take that fight in a second. It's noteworthy that Mayweather's team has weighed in on just about every potential opponent for Mayweather other than Williams. Also noteworthy is that Gary Shaw, promoter of junior welterweight Timothy Bradley, says he never heard from Golden Boy about a Mayweather fight. So even among the two best options that have been reported as under consideration, one was a front. The other is Kermit Cintron, and he made his public case for the fight here. The other major options, both completely unattractive, have also made their public cases: Nate Campbell -- colorfully offering to have testicle hairs plucked for drug testing between rounds -- and Paulie Malignaggi, who's always colorful and engaging himself.

You might think of this as "looking ahead," to focus on both men's next opponents, but as long as they insist on fighting on the same day, we can't help but reflect on what might have been. Mayweather and Pacquiao may not fight in the ring, but they'll be fighting for pay-per-view buys. And then how each man does will be scrutinized vis-a-vis who might have the upper hand if negotiations resume. There was a BoxingScene report that Mayweather wants the March 13 date because he wants to fight Shane Mosley in June, which would be pretty soon for a guy who typically takes six month breaks or more between fights, so I'm not sure I am convinced that's real.

Another reason I'm having trouble looking ahead is that everything that's going on now is colored by the tremendous disappointment I have about this incident. When boxing has been keeping its house more or less in order, I look at the bad things that surface as the exception to the rule. Now that boxing has blown its biggest opportunity in 20 years or more, all I see is the bad. Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik's fight with Williams was always going to be hard to make, but in light of the failure of Mayweather-Pacquiao, two dummies fighting over whether it would be a 50-50 split just comes off as more of boxing doing stupid junk. Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones, Jr. II (light heavyweight) was in danger of happening even before Mayweather-Pacquiao, but it suddenly seems like a trend of boxing promoters not giving fans what they want to sign a fight that matches up a 45-year-old and a 41-year-old who's coming off a 1st round knockout loss and then put it on pay-per-view.

And, you know, have a look around what others are reporting about boxing these days. There's a dark shadow over the sport now. When Arum is rooting for the return of hated rival Don King, you know things have gotten depressing.

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Consistency about blood testing looms as a mandatory for Mayweather

by Norm Frauenheim on 14 January 2010

There’s been plenty of speculation about whom Floyd Mayweather Jr. could or should fight in the wake of abortive talks for a showdown with Manny Pacquiao, yet no talk about whether Mayweather will continue to demand Olympic-style blood-testing.

Let’s just say that the demand is a mandatory defense.

Without it, Pacquiao, Bob Arum, Freddie Roach and a gallery full of critics have a compelling reason to say that blood-testing was a just a ruse that allowed Mayweather to sidestep a threat to his unbeaten record from the Filipino, who now faces a dangerous date against Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Dallas. With it, Mayweather can claim a measure of consistency that says the demand was not just a convenient feint.

It’s fair to argue that Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer asked for comprehensive blood-testing at the wrong time and in the wrong venue. First, they should have introduced the idea to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the regulatory agency for a fight that had been planned for March 13 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

Pacquiao, Arum and Roach still might have said no-no-no, but they would have had to scream their complaints to a body that is supposed to regulate and not negotiate.

At the very least, the demand was confrontational in talks ruled, first and foremost, by egos easily insulted, usually suspicious and always seeking an edge. If Mayweather doesn’t stand by the demand in possible negotiations for a fight with Timothy Bradley or Paulie Malignaggi or Paul Williams, then it looks as if he were singling out Pacquiao despite the Filipino’s clean record of tests in Nevada, California and Texas.

Drug tests for a boxing license in Nevada or any other state are as outdated as a pay-phone. Then again, so are other tests, which always seems to be a split-second late or a home run short of the latest in performance-enhancing technology.

Mark McGwire finally admitted the obvious a few days ago when he said he used steroids. Gee, ya think. The biggest headline in that news story should have been McGwire’s stated belief that he thinks the performance-enhancers didn’t help him hit those record-setting 70 homers in 1998. Maybe, he thinks that only the ball was juiced. Dick Pound, a former president of the World Anti- Doping Agency, ripped major-league baseball. Arum had suggested that baseball oversee testing for Pacquiao-Mayweather instead of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

“What has emerged in the whole baseball mess is that drug use is widespread and that even the best players are involved – and still MLB is whistling past the graveyard,’’ Pound said in an e-mail quoted by the Associated Press. “If you notice, McGwire talks about steroids and HGH (and many other doping substances). These MLB positions are not indicators of a real attempt to solve the drug use problem in baseball.’’

Pound didn’t mention boxing. Then again, he also didn’t mention Marion Jones, who went to jail for lying under oath about performance-enhancers, yet never tested positive for one after the sprinter won five medals at the Sydney Olympics.

There is no reliable test. But there is consistency and that’s the only way for Mayweather to defend himself, no matter who he fights. If he and Bradley or Malignaggi or Williams or whoever take the blood-tests, it will be that much harder for Pacquiao to just say no. Without that consistency, Mayweather will be left with only a hidden agenda.

A month for champs

Muhammad Ali turns 68 Sunday. Ali plans to celebrate in his hometown, Louisville, before returning next week to his residence in Phoenix.

Speaking of birthdays, there are many to celebrate in January. Ali’s old bitter rival, Joe Frazier, turned 66 on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Another Ali rival, George Foreman, turned 61 last Sunday, Jan. 10. Bernard Hopkins is 45 today, Friday, Jan. 15.

Notes, quotes, anecdotes

· A potential prospect, Jose Benavidez, a 17-year-old junior-welterweight from Phoenix, gets his first pro tests Saturday night in Las Vegas against Steve Cox (1-0) of Independence, Mo., on a Top Rank card featuring junior-middleweight Vanes Martiroysan versus Kassim Ouma at the Hard Rock. Benavidez, a national Golden Gloves champion, got some YouTube attention for the way he handled himself against Amir Kahn in sparring a couple of months ago at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

· News item: James Toney, a former quarterback, is trying to talk his way into a UFC bout and former NFL running back, Herschel Walker has been training for mixed-martial arts. Reaction: A Toney-Walker date in a cage can’t be too far away.

Source: 15rounds.com

Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather J^: One of Many Bgxing Tragedies and Controversies of 2009

Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather JR: One of Many Boxing Tragedies and Controversies of 2009
By Geno McGahee-January 15, 2010

It’s very rare that you get a year in boxing like 2009. It was a year that saw the unexpected in a sport where you learn to expect just that. It came in like a lion and left like a lion and we are all still recovering from the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather, JR., fall out. Consider this a year in review, covering the negative things that have transpired in the sport, and let’s see if the sport moved forward or fell back.

Tragic July

On July 1st, the world was informed that former 3-Time World Champion Alexis Arguello had committed suicide, but a cloud of mystery surrounds it. The story at the time was that he had shot himself through the heart, but foul play is not ruled out and those that knew him personally, believe that it was a murder. Arguello was remembered for his wars with Aaron Pryor and his relentless style in the ring.

Ten days after the death of Arguello, the boxing world lost another champion. Fan favorite Arturo “Thunder” Gatti was found dead in a hotel in Brazil. His wife, Amanda Rodrigues, was immediately suspected and brought in, but then released and the death was ruled a suicide. Much like Arguello’s death, there is a lot of mystery that surrounds this and there has been a lot of demand from the Gatti family to be more thorough and open with the investigation. This may be one of those deaths that are forever shrouded in mystery.

They say that it “comes in threes” and on July 25th, Vernon “The Viper” Forrest would be murdered, shot to death at a gas station in Atlanta, Georgia. Forrest was robbed at gunpoint and then retrieved his own gun, partaking in a shoot out, unaware that the shooter had a partner waiting in the wings. Forrest was shot in the back several times and killed. He was the man that beat a prime Shane Mosley on two occasions and was back in the mix with the WBC Super Welterweight Title around his waist.

Hands of Plaster

Antonio Margarito was on top of the world. Considered the “most avoided fighter” on the planet, it seemed like justice when he stopped the undefeated Miguel Cotto in a high profile fight. He was seen as the every day man, the working man, and proved that hard work and persistence paid off, but there was more at play. On January 24th, Margarito took on Sugar Shane Mosley, but something about the hand wraps struck Team Mosley funny and when the wraps were later tested, Plaster of Paris was detected. Margarito was entering the ring with loaded gloves. Justice was served as Margarito was knocked out by Mosley and then banned from the sport. He claimed no knowledge and then Bob Arum showed just what a scumbag he is when he announced that a white kid would have never been banned. Margarito is set to return and Mexico has welcomed him with open arms. Maybe he will have to kill somebody to convince them that he shouldn’t be boxing.

Poor Loser

Roy Jones, JR., all set to take on Bernard Hopkins in a pay per screw to top all pay per screws had to get by the lightly regarded Danny Green, but the cruiserweight power-puncher caught the faded Jones and scored a first round stoppage. That threw a wrench in the works for the PPV rematch with Hopkins, but this is boxing, and never underestimate the greed of Hopkins or the ego of Jones. Jones cried foul and said that Green loaded his gloves, releasing letters to boxing publications and trying to erase the publics’ memory of him hitting the floor and being stopped in one. As word got around about the potential loaded gloves, Hopkins and Jones signed to fight and now it is set for an April Pay Per View. Jones, JR., created doubt about his loss…enough to finagle this upcoming rematch. It is exactly what is wrong with boxing.

Steroid Scandals

On January 21st, Shane Mosley was still fighting the charges that he used steroids prior to his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley would admit using them and insiders claim that he used them for quite a while. Luckily for Sugar Shane, the Margarito hand wrap scandal took the focus off his misdeeds.

On November 9th, Kermit Cintron stated on e radio show thap he believed that Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao was on steroids because of his body structure and jump in weight.

On November 23rd, Floyd Mayweather, SR., made the claim as well that Pacquiao was on steroids.

On December 3rd, Shannon Briggs came back after a short hiatus from the sport to score a first round knockout over Marcus McGee. It was later turned to a no decision after Briggs tested positive for an illegal substance. Team Briggs claimed it to be asthma medication. Others point to performance enhancing drugs. The jury is still out.

On December 26th, Floyd Mayweather, JR., publicly expressed his concern that his future opponent, Pacquiao, was on steroids and demanded different testing, which was refused by Team Pacquiao.

On December 30th, Manny Pacquiao files a lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather, JR., and SR., for defamation of character, calling them “liars,” and stating that “liars go to hell.”

Note: On January 8th, 2010, Teddy Atlas would announce on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights that he received inside information that he trusted concerning emails from Team Pacquiao to Team Mayweather, asking what the penalty would be should Manny test positive for steroids.

The Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather super showdown was the talk of the boxing world and we watched as week by week and day by day, it fell apart. It was a black eye for the sport in the year 2009, especially if it should ever come out that the biggest star in boxing is using illegal drugs to get an edge on the competition.

Mike Tyson … Can’t Forget Him

Mike Tyson has become a new man…well, sort of. After a make up with Evander Holyfield, a new documentary exposing his personal life and inner feelings, and a possible return to the sport, he made the news again on November 11th, in an all too familiar way. Tyson had a physical altercation with a paparazzi in a LA airport. The charges were later dropped but it still made worldwide news and may give us an indication that he has a long way to go before he’s the new man he claims to be.

The year 2009 had more drama than most. We had the steroid scandals, murders, and loaded gloves, but we also had some great things like the Showtime Super Six Tournament, launched in 2009, cruiserweights invading the heavyweight division, and a lot of great fights. 2009 was a mixed bag for the boxing fan but delivered what we have come to love: the drama of the sport, both inside and outside of the ring.

Source: ringsidereport.com

As Pacquiao-Mayweather fails, boxing proves its own worst enemy

Posted at 05:31 PM on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010
By BILL DWYRE - Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES -- A picture is worth a thousand words. So let's make a visual out of the current state of boxing.

Close your eyes and remember. October 1993. Las Vegas. The land is needed more than the building, so they fill the venerable Dunes Hotel on the Strip with dynamite, push a button and it implodes.

January 2010. The good ol' USA. No dynamite, just stupidity and ego. Same thing happens. Boxing implodes.

Last Sunday, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank announced that Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines will fight Joshua Clottey of Ghana. The fight will be March 13 in the Dallas Cowboys' new football stadium.

Later that same day, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions announced that Floyd Mayweather Jr. would fight an opponent to be determined. The fight will be March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.



Yes, these are the two premier boxers in their sport.

Yes, they were supposed to fight each other.

And yes, that fight was supposed to be on March 13.

The world anticipated that one. Wallets and checkbooks were open. Sponsors were lining up. The estimated $60 pay-per-view tab even seemed reasonable. The bout would put boxing on the front pages next to the likes of Lakers and Dodgers, and in the same breath with them on the nightly newscasts.

This was a big deal, and then it wasn't. The fight was off. Mayweather's camp implied that Pacquiao must be enhancing his performances with drugs because he got so big and so good so fast. Pacquiao, with no credible hint whatsoever of any such activity, was offended, eventually said he wanted no part of the Mayweather camp and even sued them for defamation.

Keep in mind that each fighter was to be guaranteed $25 million, and the likely final take for each, with projected pay-per-view revenue, was closer to $40 million.

In the end, this was an impasse the size of the Grand Canyon.

Then boxing made it worse.

By announcing separate fights on the same date, they split everything in two, especially their fan base. Television networks would have to choose. HBO is the sport's cash cow and it now must choose, alienating whomever it rejects.

Even if the two shows come off at different times with a two-hour difference from Central to Pacific zones, few are likely to plunk down money to buy both. Sports editors, Web site editors and TV program directors are likely to look at this mess, look at their ever-dwindling budgets and keep their reporters at home.

In essence, boxing canceled a Super Bowl and replaced it with two lesser events at the same time on competing channels. Nice work.

What ever happened to "United we stand, divided we fall"? In boxing, it appears to be "Every man for himself and take the other guy down with you."

If you are looking for a winner in this non-fight fight, it is probably the Pacquiao side. His fight with Clottey has the possibility of being competitive. It also has the attraction of a shiny new venue. Plus, whatever media attention is available, it will go more to the current star, Pacquiao. He has been backing up the Brinks truck after each fight for the last several years, while Mayweather, already retired and unretired once, has been less active.

Pacquiao, and promoter Arum, were in much better financial standing to walk away from a mega-fight. Mayweather has made millions, but has also fought recently, at least in part, for the benefit of the Internal Revenue Service.

Arum was Mayweather's promoter for many years, and is not shy about telling people he never made money with Mayweather and that Mayweather walked away from him just as his career became financially viable. Mayweather is now managed by Al Haymon, with whom Arum has dealt over the years for many fights. They like each other like cattlemen like sheepherders.

Walking away from these guys had to bring Arum at least a tinge of satisfaction.

The possibility of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight later in the year will depend on several things, including Pacquiao's possible status as a congressman in the Philippines. If he is elected in May, he could conceivably do all his fighting henceforth in political chambers, not boxing rings.

Throughout this saga, Mayweather has acted badly, as is his wont. As recently as last week, with the fight and his likely $40-million payday falling apart around him, he issued a statement that used foul language and further insulted Pacquiao.

Ultimately, he trash-talked his way into the garbage bin.

The last word on this story will go to Golden Boy's Schaefer, who unwittingly summed it all up. Early on in the talks, he said, "If we can't make this fight, we are idiots."

Source: fresnobee.com

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Let Boxing Down

by Bryan Brennan on Jan 15, 2010 8:32:30 AM
Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao A little over a month ago, I firmly believed the state of boxing was changing for the better. Thanks to the pressure of mixed martial arts (MMA), the demand from fans and the overall talent in boxing, great fights were being forced to happen, pay-per-views were diminishing and boxing fans were turning their frowns upside down.

The two best pound-for-pound fighters were planning to square off in March, and some fantastic fights were just over the horizon. I don't know about you, but my glass was full of optimism for the future of the sport.

Then, they did it to us again. Shame on us for falling for it.

The megafight between Manny Pacquiao (50-3, 38 KO) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KO) was announced on Dec. 8, and negotiations seemed to be moving along quite smoothly. The only wrinkle was the venue. I don’t think anybody really cared where it ended up, just as long as it ended up, period. Unfortunately for the fans, it just plain ended.

Rumors started to surface around the holidays that Pacquiao and Mayweather were having issues over the blood testing. Then, just in time for the new year, we were all informed that the situation was bad enough that the fight may not happen. Around the time we were all tired of hearing about it, the nail in the coffin came from Bob Arum, who declared, "The fight is off."

What was such a nice outlook for 2010 has now turned bleak.

Pacquiao will take on a tough contender in Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) at Cowboys Stadium on March 13. This is a solid fight and a very intriguing matchup for Pacman. Clottey is no pushover and drove both Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KO) and Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KO) to the brink. Clottey is an extremely dangerous, sturdy and capable fighter.

The fight, however, will most likely land on PPV, and to me, that is no way to apologize to the fans for blowing what could have been the biggest fight in the recent history of the game.

To make things worse, Golden Boy Promotions announced that Floyd Mayweather is making plans to fight an undetermined opponent March 13 at the MGM Grand -- most likely PPV, of course. So instead of the greatest fighters in the world punishing each other in the ring, they will be inflicting damage on our wallets.

This is an outcome that doesn’t just disappoint fans, but fellow boxers and the sport itself. The ramifications can be felt all the way down to the local level. Chris Traitti (8-1, 5 KO), a native of Quincy, Mass., who is fighting Jan. 22 at The Roxy in Boston, summed up how many fight fans feel: “The worst thing that could’ve happened to boxing was losing that fight, especially right now with boxing being in the state that it’s in.”

Simeon Dunwell (10-1, 3 KO), from Peabody, Mass., is fighting on the same card and also had nothing but negative feelings about the collapse.

“You ask me, I think they’re both scared of each other,” Dunwell said. “It should happen. They could make so much money, and it’s good for boxing. ... That’s why boxing is going down. ... MMA is coming up.”

Halfway through January, my glass of optimism is already springing a leak from my aggravation with Golden Boy, Arum and the three-ring circus that is the Mayweathers.

To add to the insult of dueling PPVs, Golden Boy has announced that even though Roy Jones was stopped in the first round by Danny Green back in December, they will be going forward with a Jones-Bernard Hopkins rematch. The fight is tentatively slated for April 17 at the Mandalay Bay Casino, and of course, it will be shown on PPV.

In the end, boxing has been through tough times before and will go through tough times again, but Traitti puts it plain and simple: “It’s too bad that fight didn’t happen, because boxing needed it -- bad.”

Hopefully, by the end of the year, Pacquiao and Mayweather will put aside their petty differences and realize they aren’t just fighting each other. They are fighting to keep a drowning sport relevant.

Source: nesn.com

Pulse of a Nation: The boxing public speaks out on Floyd Mayweather’s list of possible opponents

Las Vegas Boxing ExaminerChris Robinson

When the reality set in that the proposed Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout was no longer an immediate option, the public was far from shy in voicing their opinion on the fallout. While some people took sides blaming both men for the fight falling through, others simply pondered what the future held for two of the world’s most talented and accomplished fighters.

Pacquiao didn’t waste much time in making headlines of his own with the announcement that he would be facing off with former IBF Welterweight champion Joshua Clottey at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on the 13th. A matchup with Clottey is no easy task and Pacquiao was accordingly given respect for choosing such a credible opponent. Now the attention has turned to the Las Vegas based Mayweather, who has yet to finalize who exactly his next foe will be.

Such names as former champions Kermit Cintron, Paulie Malignaggi, and Nate Campbell have been thrown into the mix. On a lesser and more excruciating note, Matthew Hatton’s name has been tossed around as well but we can only hope that talk will subside. Former Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight champion Paul Williams, now campaigning at 160 pounds, has also come forward with his insistence that he would be willing and able to drop to the Welterweight limit for a face off with Floyd.

Hopefully in the coming days more news will spread and we will get a better handle on who exactly Mayweather will be facing in his near future. To get a further feel for how the public feels about Mayweather’s current list of possible opponents I decided to take a trip online and visit some of the busiest boxing forums on the net. Speaking bluntly, this is what the public is saying…


(Dominicano Soy! @ BoxingScene.com)…
“I have a serious dislike for Cintron but he is better then nothing. I still prefer Bradley.”

(Lenzo @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Don't count on Mayweather fighting any of the top and currently prime names, he never does. SSM is the true WW champ anyway and Floyd has had years of opportunity to make it happen. Same with PW. Floyd is much safer against Matthew Hatton or Paulie. Floyd shouldn't play with the big boys. I'd rather watch a boring sitcom before I watch Floyd / Paulie.”

(lb 4 lb @ BoxingFanatics.com)…
“Personally I think PW beats the overrated Mayweather. Floyd isn't nearly as good as the mythical level he now resides at. People really forget how close he came to losing to a lesser version of ODLH in a fight where Floyd’s main concern seemed to be not losing rather than trying to win.

Floyd's opponent is still up in the air but looks to be either Malignaggi or Matthew Hatton who is just terrible enough to actually allow Floyd to fight someone who resides at 147. We're all proud of you Floyd, that takes guts.”

(Iron Beach @ BadLeftHook.com)…
“If Mosley shines in his fight with Berto, betcha’ Floyd goes back to his story ‘bout SSM duckin’ him years ago hes lost some fights and on….and on…plus after Pac-Clottey, maybe Pac-Mosley, and Pac gets outta’ the game after that. Becomes a full time politician, part time movie and singin’ star. Peace!!”

(Assim Ali @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“there is 1 reason why Paulie should fight Mayweather and that’s because they both have speed but Mayweather has more power just look at his KO record compared to Paulie's, and there is 1 reason why he should not fight him and that’s because Mayweather will dominate him in a fight. the next opponent for Mayweather should be Pacquiao which I would love to see in December if not earlier or Shane Mosley, then we'll see if Mayweather is the best. credit to Floyd he’s my favorite boxer but I want to see him fight better competition like Mosley or Pacquiao or maybe even Cotto.”

(DrewWoodside @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Sergio Martinez is so much more deserving of this fight.”

(MNBoxingFan-Sean @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“If Floyd fights Mosley than it'll be more of the same steroid talk nonsense, but Mosley will take the tests because he's with GBP and would want to put the gossip about his steroid use to bed. Plus I think Shane would beat Floyd! If Floyd wants to fight Malignaggi or Matthew Hatton than he should just retire. Fighting Hatton and Malignaggi would mean nothing... not to mention both would be boring and very one sided. The only fighter out there that Floyd could fight now is Cotto, but because Cotto is with Top Rank we'll never see it. Paul Williams is to big now so he's not coming back down. Margarito is possibly done and a cheater so who would want to fight him? Berto would get destroyed. Nope... Floyd should've stayed retired, but the way he spends money he'll be fighting bums in parking lots if that’s what it takes to keep up his lifestyle.”

(ny123 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Cintron is a true Welterweight with serious one punch KO power. this is not a Mayweather-Pac fight but this might be Floyd's toughest Welterweight fight yet and although Kermit gets a lot of hate on this site because of his questionable toughness he is a top 10 Welterweight and Jr mw who is a good fighter”

(Jason @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“I have no interest in Mayweather-Malignaggi, although I don't blame Paulie for lobbying for the fight. It's his best payday. But there will be tremendous backlash against Floyd and his handlers if this fight comes off. It's been said a thousand times on this site, and I'll say it again: Floyd needs to fight a legitimate welterweight, not a blown-up and feather-fisted Malignaggi, to be taken seriously at this juncture. Even Cintron will do. Although make no mistake, I'm not bubbling with joy at the prospect of Mayweather-Cintron, but at least the guy's a welterweight. And moreover, Cintron would be hands-down the best guy that Floyd's fought (in his respective weight class) since the Castillo rematch in 2002.”

(Rebel @ BoxingFanatics.com)…
“The Queen B. vs. Paulie is a total sham. Mayweather will once again force a 140 lbr to move up to welterweight. Paulie has no punch and he's not as good as he looked against Juan Diaz. Mayweather will bitch slap him en route to a TKO within 9 rounds.”

(JKaisen41 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“NOBODY, I repeat NOBODY will fight Williams from the 147 division... No Mosley, No Pacquiao, No Cotto etc. and Mayweather won't either.”

(Muzse @ BoxingFanatics.com)…
“Floyd definitely gets the worse treatment on this..."like I said before" any fight short of Pac or the winner of Berto-Mosley makes Floyd the bitch in this.

I have a feeling nothing will be formally announced until after Berto-Mosley...if Berto wins, sign Floyd up...if Mosley wins...Paulie gets the call.

Floyd has no interest in challenging himself.

The fault lies at the feet of HBO...”

(Kok123 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“I want Campbell.”

(Zocalo @ BadLeftHook.com)…
“Cintron is Phillip Ndou 2.0… and we all saw how that went out and it is even worse because everyone doubts Cintron’s desire and heart.”

(CrazyLegs77 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Mayweather probably doesn’t want the fight with Williams’s size and reach but it could be a good time to do it as Williams was just battered for 12 rounds and would have to go from 160+ down to 147 by March so may be a good idea for Floyd to take him up on his offer. Not to mention Floyd boxing skills are far superior but I don’t think he could KO Williams and he’d be pressured all night so could be bad news but who knows.”

(fight fan @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“I hope Mayweather takes a fight with Malignaggi. It will prove Mayweather ducked the fight. Seriously if you know boxing, you have to respect both of these guys for what they do. I've been a boxing fan for more than 20 years. But Mayweather and Malignaggi belong on ESPN or HBO for free. They are PPV caliber fighters. Would you pay for something you already know is going to happen? Would you pay for someone to win a fucking decision? HELL NO! If I put up $60 for a PPV I want Drama, Something worth my money. Not two guys who will dance around the ring all 12 rounds. Boxing is considered a fight. Fight's need a finish. Malignaggi can't offer a finish so he will never be respected. Plain & Simple.”

(M@nny @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Whatever, he aint fighting Kermit. He'll end up fighting Paulie or Matthew, watch.”

(George @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“Paulie got beaten badly by both Cotto and Hatton at 140 lbs.. Deep inside, he and his team know that he can no longer capture any title at 140 lbs.. Hence he had to go down to the lighter 135 lbs. just to get a title. But even at that division, he aint the best unless he faces and beat Valero. But of course, he'll do a PBF and duck Valero at all cost. So how the hell will he have any chance of being any threat against Pacquiao or PBF or anyone at 147 lbs.? Paulie (Poly the talkative parrot), you're nothing but a LOSER. Winners always persevere at their weight division to better themselves then move up, NOT DOWN!”

(DLT @ BoxingScene.com)…
“It’s not like I want Bradley but out of all the fighters proposed, he is clearly the best. I don’t want Bradley to lose to Floyd either. I don’t think he's fully ready yet but I don’t think he even comes close to winning even when he's fully healthy. I think Collazo may be the better option but Bradley is the much more sexy pick. However, if I had my choice of them all it would be Cintron because I think Floyd needs to face that size & strength before jumping in the ring with a Mosley.

On top of that I want to see how he fights Cintron. If he's on some Baldomir bike type shit then he's going to struggle with any real WW but if he lets his hands go and puts on a show then I know he is ready. I have always said that I don’t think Floyd fought Cotto & Margarito simply because he didn’t feel he was big & strong enough while entering the ring at only 146-148 pounds at WW back then. Even though he shutout Baldy, you could tell that he didn’t feel comfortable with the size & strength. Now though I think he is a good 5-7 pounds heavier and older so I think that could make a big difference in how he feels now against the big boys.”

(Radam G – Hmmm @ TheSweetScience.com)…
“Paulie is a loudmouthed-no-fighting bum. I'll be glad when he fights a live boxer and get crushed again like the whupping that Miguel Cotto put on him. Paulie does everything wrong and it comes out wrong. He has just been matched against the none-hurting-his-arse opponents. First, he doesn't deserve a fight with Mayweather or any of the top five dawgs at light welter -- and not definitely not at welterweight. Good thing that Mayweather will not fight this bum, because he will revealed Paulie as chump -- lower than a bum -- a pure tomato can!”

(NATAS206 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Could you imagine if Cintron slipped a big power shot and KO'd Floyd? The world would explode.

On the real this fight is better than Campbell, but I don't see this one being very competitive.

On the plus side though WHEN HAS CINTRON EVER FAILED AT BRINGING SOME DRAMA?!?!? The answer is NEVER! Either he's crying his eyes out against Margarito, he fakes a hand injury against some bum or he's getting hit by phantom headbutts. Whatever the case, Cintron fights are ALWAYS entertaining, no matter what.

If Floyd is boxing his ears off I could see a complete self destruction by Kermit by the 7th or 8th round, something to go down in the history books! Maybe he'll start crying and throw the stool at Floyd between rounds or something like that hahaha”

(Khoy @ 411Mania.com)…
“I'm really thinking that Paulie Malignaggi and Kermit Cintron jive with Mayweather regarding the accusations about Manny simply becuz they know they will have a chance to get a crack of Mayweather and have a chance to the have the biggest pay day of their entire career. Come to think of it?...maybe they all protected Mayweather Jr's zero lost, think so?...Mayweather got a deal with Kermit and Paulie, maybe, for him to have some sort of way out...”

(South318 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Williams/Mayweather is not happening.

1. Al Haymon will not allow this.
2. PBF knows this is way too big of a risk...hard fight.”

Source: Examiner.com

Who Is Responsible for the Pacquiao-Mayweather Cancellation?

Published: Jan 14 2010 by: Scott Levinson

The blame for the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather mega-fight must fall at Mayweather’s feet

The biggest boxing event of our era is off. Crestfallen fans now scramble to make sense of this fiasco, attempting to figure out how two men can walk away from the richest fight of their lives.

While situations such as this are seldom black and white, this writer feels the blame should be laid on the doorstep of Floyd Mayweather. The fight was on the verge of being signed. How to divide the money, the common hanging point in a superfight negotiation, had been hashed out. Then, suddenly, the issue of drug testing comes up. If not for that, the fight would be signed right now and we would be covering press conferences instead of this sad aftermath of a failed negotiation.

At the end of the day, the fighters themselves must take responsibility for career transgressions. While both Mayweather and Pacquiao’s management played a role in this, any fallout reflects on the fighters. We don’t look back to the early 90’s and say Rock Newman avoided Lennox Lewis, we say Riddick Bowe avoided him. The fighters themselves must ultimately take responsibility for their career trajectories.

Here are some reasons why Floyd must accept responsibility for this failed negotiation:
The Powerlessness of Suspicions

I have suspicions. They live in my head and I have no evidence. If I had evidence, they wouldn’t be suspicions, they would be facts. Should any importance be given to my suspicions? Absolutely not. Why? They are unsupported thoughts.

My suspicions impose zero responsibility on those I suspect to prove me wrong.

Imagine the precedent this would set. Anybody suspected of something should have to prove otherwise? Even if I had people who agreed with me, suspicion is suspicion. Facts are facts. The grand-canyon sized gulf between suspicion and fact seems to have been lost on a great number of boxing fans that blame Pacquiao for this fight falling apart.

If I suspect guilt on the part of a person, does the burden of proof shift to the accused? In what part of the world does this practice exist? Not in Vegas. A person could choose to ignore my suspicions, and I would be no closer to establishing his guilt. I would also have no right to be offended. Nobody owes me an explanation based simply on suspicions or assumptions devoid of evidence.

A few years ago, someone stole some pieces of jewelry from me. My neighbor’s son is a drug addict. I suspected he might have stolen the jewelry. I decided to let it go. But if I demanded to search his room, and he declined, would that alone justify me thinking he was guilty? If he ignored my accusations, would I have a right to then assume he did it? The answer must be no. At the end of the day, all I had were my suspicions, which add up to precisely nothing.

The only times suspicions carry any weight are when those in power hold them. If my boss who suspects I am stealing office supplies asks to see my bag, I might feel compelled to acquiesce to his demands. He is, after all, my boss. If a colleague made the same request, my response would not be so accommodating.

In other words…
Floyd Has no Authority

Mayweather attempted to become the first participant of a sport to simultaneously play the role of a commissioner. The amount of fans who have not gotten their heads around this is startling. Floyd Mayweather has no right to make any such drug testing demands. Like every other fighter, he is subject to the rules of the commission he fights under.

This fight is not happening because Manny didn’t cater to all of Mayweather’s demands. Lost in this is the fact that Manny did agree to the most thorough drug testing given to a pro fighter in the history of boxing. But it wasn’t enough to meet the demands that had no right to be made in the first place.

Imagine a world of sports where participants can call shots based on suspicions. What if a baseball team suspected another team of using corked bats? Before the game, they demand that all bats be confiscated and put through a battery of tests to determine their legitimacy. When the accused team tells them to forget it, what should happen? The answer is nothing. They had no right to levy demands in the first place. That’s what Bud Selig is there for. Let him officiate the sport and let the participants play. The line must remain clear.
Floyd’s Role of Anti-Drug Crusader

It simply does not ring true. While he has criticized those in the past caught for steroid use, a little trash talk is not enough to become a respected voice on the topic. In 40 fights, he has never made such demands on any other opponent. During an 18-month retirement—he didn’t make a peep about drug testing. Then at the precipice of signing for his biggest fight, he throws out the drug testing issue. Like a rock.

If Floyd were as genuine about his concern about performance enhancing drugs as he wants everyone to believe, why did he not broach the subject at any point in his 13-year pro career? Why did he not once contact the proper authorities and make an effort to change drug-testing policy? He waited to be on the cusp of signing for his landmark fight to bring up the issue of drug testing?

I would applaud Floyd’s concerns if he didn’t use them solely to stonewall the biggest fight of this generation.
Floyd’s Flippancy over His Legacy

When the signature boxing talent of the time says, “Legacy don’t pay bills,” then I guess we should expect his aversion to fighting top fighters. After wins at 130 and 135 over Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, his M.O. seems to be to skirt the challenges of worthy and dangerous opponents. Over four years ago, he entered the welterweight division. His entrance came just before the explosion of talent making 147 the best division in the game. He mopped up the remnants of the inglorious Spinks-Judah-Baldomir era.

Since that era, such standout fighters as Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Andre Berto, and Manny Pacquiao have risen to the top of the division. These guys can now be called division mainstays, and Floyd has yet to face any of them. In a relatively brief time in the division, Pacquiao’s resume at 147 is already more compelling than Floyd’s. If he beats Clottey, it will be even more so.

Yet Floyd continues to claim he is the greatest of all time, even as we are approaching a decade since he has fought a prime and dangerous opponent in his own weight class. Not to say all his bouts have been easy. He should receive moderate props for beating Baldomir (the linear welterweight champion at the time), still-dangerous Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, and undefeated Ricky Hatton.

But when reflecting on the deeds of past greats and all the dangerous fights Floyd has avoided, it leaves knowledgeable fans with an empty feeling. No one is saying he should go the Sugar Ray Leonard-route and fight four Hall of Famers in a two-year stretch, but to go several years without even facing a top-five guy in your division is inexcusable for a fighter making the grandiose claims of greatness that Floyd makes.

If Floyd’s avoidance of top foes was merely a notion before, it has now become a full-fledged universal truth. Look at it this way—name one other modern top fighter with a dozen years of world title fights under his belt who has never once been an underdog? That alone speaks volumes of Floyd’s aversion to risk. He had a chance to erase two big problems in his life with one fight—his financial problems and his waning legitimacy as an all-time great. At the cusp of the signing, he sabotaged the whole thing.
Does Floyd Have Ulterior Motives?

It just might be that this is all a ruse by Camp Mayweather, and they never intended to fight Pacquiao this year. To make demands only a commission can make, Team Mayweather is either guilty of gross hubris or possibly something even more calculating. Maybe they reflected that Manny is absolutely peaking while Floyd has had one bout in over two years. By forcing the drug-testing issue, they afforded their man more time to get in the groove while smearing the reputation of his only rival for the #1 pound-for-pound spot.

In addition, they perhaps want to give Manny a little time to decline. They might figure Manny will be unable to operate at this fever pitch for much longer. While Mayweather is older, Manny has been through more in the ring, due largely to his higher caliber of opposition. Camp Mayweather might be thinking a few more fights against top welterweights will send Manny heading down the proverbial hill that awaits all boxers.

This may all seem unfathomable until one reflects on the very calculated nature of Mayweather’s brain trust. Throughout his career, he has been put in one low-risk/high reward scenario after the next against fighters with rabid followings, managing to become the #1 guy in the sport without ever facing a top five pound-for-pound entrant. It takes a certain amount of clever orchestration to manage that.

Along those same lines, we cannot ignore the reality that bad blood sells. While a huge mega-fight now, if Pacquiao-Mayweather were allowed to simmer for another year in the broth of trash talk, it would become even bigger. Perhaps this is not a reason for Floyd’s camp to cause a collapse in negotiations, but maybe it made it onto their list of overall considerations.

You never know what’s going on in people’s heads. Perhaps Camp Mayweather just threw out these accusations to ruffle the feathers of Pacquiao, and then became stuck to them. Rather than abandon the issue and lose face, they just stuck right on with it, using the above reasons as justification.
Could I Be Wrong?

A few things have crossed my mind to make me question my stance on this topic. The first being that Manny conceivably could have just said, “Screw it, I’ll take the tests.” Sure, Floyd has no right to make the demands in the first place, but Manny did agree to take some blood tests. Whether it is 14 days or 28 days, what difference does it make? It is a tiny bit suspicious. But you know where I stand on suspicions.

The bottom line is that Manny agreed to become the most tested fighter of all time. No one has ever taken even three blood tests for a pro fight before. So you can’t really say he is running from the tests. For Mayweather to be appeased, Manny must almost roll over like a dog for him. There’s pride involved here. Manny is the top draw in the game, and if you were in the same position you may very well be inclined to say “forget this guy, let’s fight someone else.” This stance wouldn’t be motivated so much by the fear of getting caught as much as it would be driven by the effrontery displayed by the Mayweather camp.

If Manny were on performance-enhancing drugs, then his motivation here would be very different. I would have almost preferred that he just refused to take blood tests altogether. The fact that he agreed to some form of it, but just not exactly the way Mayweather wanted it, makes his “refusal based on principle” perspective a little sketchier to me. It would be like if the kid I suspected stole my jewelry allowed me to search his home, but just not his closet. That’s way more suspicious than just outright denying me a search.

Again, I stress: this world we be a lot worse off if we were all governed by an “I think you’re (insert accusation here) so prove me wrong” policy.
Final Thoughts

Time will ultimately decide this matter. If Manny is later proven to have taken performance-enhancing drugs, Floyd will be vindicated. Any of the perceived mistakes some feel he has made during this negotiation will be put to rest. Whether rightfully or not, he will be given credit as one of the first to see through the BS.

If no proof ever surfaces showing Manny is guilty of what Floyd accuses him of, Floyd’s legacy will have a huge stain on it. It would decrease in value like a white cashmere sweater with a red blotch on it. It’s not as if there isn’t already a strong vibe swirling around boxing circles that Floyd has spent the bulk of his prime avoiding dangerous fights. If you add to that the troubling component that he created a fake issue to duck his signature fight, then you can kiss his legacy goodbye.

But this isn’t the future. This is right now. And as of right now, Manny has to answer only to the commissions of the places where he fights, not to Team Mayweather. To determine the public agenda of a fighter based solely on the suspicions of his biggest rival is beyond ridiculous.

Source: proboxing-fans.com