The hugely epic mega bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, which just last week was seemingly all but finalized with both sides agreeing to a fight date of Mar. 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, has hit a bit of snag. More specifically, Mayweather is threatening to pull out.
Mega Bout In Jeopardy As Mayweather Threatens To Pull Out Of Fight After Pacquiao Refuses Blood Tests
Part of the agreement between the two fighters was that Pacquiao would agree to “an Olympic-style random drug test at the request of Mayweather’s camp.” But now Pacquiao is refusing.
Early today Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who informed Schaefer that Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30-days of the bout based on the fighter’s superstition of testing so close to a fight.
Schaefer commented, “Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn’t want to do it so close to the fight. He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.”
Floyd Mayweather had his own response to the news.
“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does,” said Mayweather. “But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”
I agree with Mayweather, hopefully this was “some miscommunication,” because this fight is just too good not to happen. Or maybe that’s the problem -- it’s really just too good to happen.
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