The most controversial bout in the history, Pacquiao vs Mayweather, once again opened their doors for the fight to happen. But still both Team Pacquiao and Team Mayweather haven’t finalized the issue about the drug testing protocol. The event date is not yet finalized as to whether they will stick to March 13 or they will move the fight in the middle or latter months of 2010.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said that they are ok to move off U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) but still wants the blood testing to be done. Schaefer gave emphasis to the four most important things that they wanted – random, blood, urine, and time frame. He said that team Pacquiao have agreed with random test that includes blood and urine but they were still negotiating the cutoff date to assure it will still be effective.
Schaefer said that they don’t care if Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will be the one to perform the test as long as they adhere to their request, that they want the blood test to be done in less than 30 days. They believed that having a blood test done 30 days before the fight is no longer effective.
“If this fight doesn’t happen it’s not because of Team Mayweather.”
Richard Schaefer, CEO Golden Boy Promotions
Manny Pacquiao agreed to unlimited urine testing and at least three blood tests. The first test is planned early in January, second test is 30 days before the fight, and last test right after the fight. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum doesn’t want Pacquiao to have blood taken in the middle of the night or in the few days leading up to the match. A blood test which will be done a week and the night before the fight is a big “NO” for him.
Arum also pointed out that they will just rely to the NSAC. He said that they will do whatever the commission says and they’ll just let Mayweather’s camp do the petition regarding their request. He knows that Nevada doesn’t really require blood test because this is how boxing has been conducted in Nevada for 40 years but if Nevada wants a blood test to be done, then they’ll do it. He also said that Nevada will be the one to decide when the blood test to be done and they’ll not just follow whatever the Mayweather’s camp requested. He said that Mayweather’s camp is being so demanding and doing such non-sense procedures. He said that he will not allow Pacquiao to be pushed around.
Arum has given Mayweather’s camp until Tuesday of next week. If they still don’t agree then he said that’s the end of the Pacquiao-Mayweather’s story.
BLOOD TESTING AFFECTS THE FIGHT
Is having a blood test taken before the fight will have an effect on the boxer’s performance? We can say, it depends. We can consider that it sometimes depends on the reaction of our body. Some of us compare Mayweather-Pacquiao match to Olympic games. One must think that Pacquiao and Mayweather will be fighting on the ring for 12 rounds.
We can’t just say “yes” and “no” because this kind of test is the first time in the history of professional boxing. The greatest fighters in the history of boxing did not undergo to this kind of procedure.
Should Mayweather backed down on the blood test so that the fight with Pacquiao can be made? Or Pacquiao should forget about Mayweather and find other opponents which is not that hard to deal with?
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