By Rick Reeno

During a recent open workout to promote his upcoming fight with WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, former five division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25Kos) answered several questions related to a possible mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38Kos).

Mayweather challenges Ortiz on September 17th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao defends his WBO welterweight title against Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th, also at the MGM Grand.  If both superstars prevail, the public pressure will continue for the two of them to reach an agreement for a 2012 mega-fight.

But, Mayweather advised BoxingScene.com that a fight with Pacquiao will never happen until the Filipino boxer agrees to a pre-fight Olympic style drug testing protocol, with USADA [United States Anti-Doping Agency] regulating the random tests. Mayweather wants the American public to apply additional pressure to Pacquiao’s side of the fence.

“I'm not scared [of Pacquiao]. I've been kicking ass since the 80's. I’m an American citizen. I want the Americans to stand behind me. Just step up and take the test. If you have nothing to hide, then take the test. I represent this country,” Mayweather said.

“I represent the red, white and blue. I want my country to get behind me and stand behind me, because there is no country like America. Whoever is facing Floyd Mayweather has to step up and take the test.”

Mayweather’s suspicions regarding Pacquiao have resulted in an ongoing legal action. In December of 2009, the Filipino boxer filed a defamation suit in a Las Vegas court. In the legal papers, Pacquiao alleges that Mayweather accused him of taking performance enhancing drugs. Mayweather believes the lawsuit is only making the situation worse for Pacquiao.

“[Muhammad] Ali criticized his opponents and I criticize my opponents. It's obvious that if you say I said something and you get mad, it's obvious that it must be true,” Mayweather said.

“Guys, they shoot shots at me all the time and say bad things about me all the time. I don't get mad and say 'I'm taking you to court.' I say 'okay, Victor Ortiz you don't like me, you're mad at me, okay we are going to have court inside the squared circle.'”

“When you see a certain running back in high school, you see him and say 'he's going to be a star in the NFL.' You see a certain track star and say 'they are going to be star and go to the Olympics.' But you have never seen nobody 25-years-old and all of a sudden he became good...think about it, think about it.”