The most recent twist in the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr drama is that now the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has stepped in asking both fighters to submit to urine tests within 48 hours or else they would face possible fines or suspension. Team Mayweather's unprecedented (and perhaps to some absurd) request for an Olympic-style drug testing procedure that involves random blood and urine tests has been countered by Pacquiao insistence on only blood testing at least 30 days before the fight due to his apprehension about undergoing blood tests right before the fight saying that he feels weakened when blood is taken from him. The promoters of each fighter actually came to an agreement to have Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) act as a binding arbitrator who would decide on the drug testing that both camps would adhere to. However, even though his own promoter (Bob Arum) agreed to this, Pacquiao himself will not agree to mediation from the highly respected senator.
Arum has come out of this whole situation looking like a complete moron. He has made excuses including that the tattooed Pacquiao is scared of needles and that blood tests don’t “prove anything.” Pacquiao has stated that he thinks a blood test 48 hours before the fight might drain him and does not want blood drawn up to 30 days before the fight. Although I thought it was common knowledge that a blood test requires very little blood and I think most of us would agree that having blood taken on January 1st probably will not affect one physically on January 29th, let's say that Pacquiao is telling the truth about actually feeling drained by the blood test, there is still inconsistency in his camp's 30 day deadline. After all, it was shown on HBO's 24/7 reality show that Pacquiao did have blood taken just 14 days prior to his fight with Ricky Hatton.
Although I do not know whether either of these fighters are actually using performance enhancing drugs, my bullshit meter just went off. Boxing might be different but most people I know have been able to do physical activities right after having their blood taken. We are not talking about a transfusion here. They are not going to take a pint of Pacquiao's blood instead just enough to do a test and most likely one to three tubes (my guess from working in a lab where we test blood would be 10ml). Furthermore, it is easy to suggest that with all of the money on the line, if this random blood testing does bother Pacquiao then hire a friggin' sports psychologist. There is a good number of people who already believe that the current drug testing system is flawed with only idiots getting caught and this Pacquiao-Mayweather drama will only serve to give them more ammo as they prosecute based on Pacquiao's seemingly illogical reluctance to random testing or certain agencies doing the testing. Sure some will argue that Mayweather is acting like a dick but if part of his plan was to distract Pacquiao then he has definitely succeeded.
Boxing is at a crossroads right now as the sport needs a marquee fight more than ever. Perhaps due to the overwhelming support for Pacquiao along with the hatred of Pretty Boy Floyd, up to this point, the public has given the beloved Pacquiao a pass even though it is a tad curious that it has gotten to the point where everybody but him can agree on what to do next. While I am by no means a boxing expert, as a casual fan, I am surprised that the usual cutthroat sports media has not taken a break from the Tiger watching and jumped all over questioning Pacquiao as to whether there really is something more going on here.
NOTE: Kevin Iole has an article on the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight noting that Al Haymon, who came up with the idea of Mayweather asking for random Olympic style testing, is also the manager of Andre Berto who faces Shane Mosley on January 30th. Even though Mosley has testified using banned substances known as "the cream" and "the clear" as well as erythropoietin, Haymon has not asked for Mosley to do the same testing. Mosley also passed the post-fight urinalysis given to him by the Nevada commission in 2003.
before the NSAC stepped in, i saw a poll on a random mma/boxing website where 40% of the people thought pacquiao was hiding something (there was also a substantial number who thought mayweather was only doing this to play mind games). the pessimist in me wants to say how can people not see this for what it really is? i read that larry merchant was saying how this was unprecedented for a big fight in that the big things have been agreed upon but the two camps cannot resolve the small stuff. i remember anthony half-jokingly(?) commenting that the only two athletes he really believes are clean are ichiro and jeter which might sound absurd but it's basically getting to the point where you start to wonder if it's just natural for an athlete to try and get any type of an advantage... and sometimes that means breaking the rules.
the pac blood test b4 hatton was 24 days
Well put Kenny. I think that at first glance, the request for olympic-style testing sounds excessive, but nobody is disputing the fact that that is the only test that actually works. Given that fact, a long with Pacquiao and his camp's reluctance to take the test, I think Mayweather has reason to not only demand the test, but to also be suspicious. It'f funny how this has split the boxing community down the middle. It looks like the fight is off now because Pacquiao is suing Mayweather and still refusing to take any test that might actually work. So everyone is disappointed that they will no longer get to see the biggest fight since Mosley-De La Hoya (maybe even Hagler-Hearns). People wan't someone to blame and so naturally the haters are pointing the finger at Mayweather. But given that 99% of boxing fans hated Mayweather and wanted to see him fall flat on their face (prob'ly because they're all racist hater who didn't kiss a girl until their second year of grad school and couldn't make the cut for being waterboy in highschool) it's very telling that almost half of the fans are now siding with Mayweather. It points to the fact that Mayweather's position has Merit. The remaining haters keep saying that Mayweather backed Manny into a corner and made it so that he looks bad no matter what. My response to them is...there is one thing Manny could have done that would avoided all of this and would have vindicated him and made Floyd look petty in the process. It's called... just take the goddamn test! If you're clean then it cost you nothing. He could have even demanded that Mayweather pay for the testing (including flying the nurses out to Manny's training camp) out of his own purse for the fight. Mayweather would have had no choice but to acquiesce. Instead we get this major overreaction. Immediately Bob Arum starts saying the fight's off. And now when people are starting to scrutinize Manny, now he wants to sue everyone who ever said anything bad about him. Well the accusations have been out there since before the Cotto fight. Where were the lawsuits then Manny?
All I'm saying is, the veneer is starting to chip away a little bit.