By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Keith Kizer, says the handlers of both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are hopeful that they can resolve the sticky issue of random blood tests raised by the Mayweather camp to enable the planned March 13 super fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to move forward.
Kizer told James "Smitty” Smith of the popular Boxing show “In This Corner” that he had spoken to Mayweather's advisers Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe, and Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and trainer Freddie Roach, and said “it seems like they are all hopeful they can reach some sort of agreement on this last issue and have the fight.”
Kizer said he believes “both fighters (Pacquiao and Mayweather) want the fight to happen but there’s this last disagreement that needs to be solved and I think they are doing everything they can” to resolve the issue and make the fight.
Asked by Smith whether he thought the issue would be solved Kizer replied, "I don’t know. I hope it gets solved because I think this is a fight that both fighters want to happen and the fans want to happen” pointing out that if the fight pushes through it would be good for the state of Nevada, for the sport of boxing as a whole..
Kizer noted that a lot of people two months ago felt the two sides would "never get close to getting this thing signed but then they got very, very close and hopefully they’ll get over that last hurdle.”
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told us that the only way the fight could happen is if all concerned on the Mayweather side issue a public apology and that the pre and post-fight tests be conducted under the rules of the NSAC.
According to Koncz, Pacquiao was “not angry nor upset” but said that “we gave them a chance. We were nice to them but they were not nice to us” which resulted in the lawsuit. Koncz also disclosed that Pacquiao would go on a family vacation next week and probably leave for Los Angeles by January 15 to start training at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach.
Koncz also revealed that Pacquiao watched a tape of 154 pound champion Yuri Foreman who has been mentioned as a possible opponent in case the Mayweather fight falls through but had no comment on Foreman.
The NSAC executive director said both Pacquiao and Mayweather have been successful moving up in weight over the years and “passed every single test we’ve given them. I have great respect for both fighters. They have been very professional and clean athletes when it comes to drug testing in the state of Nevada and Atlantic City as well.”
Kizer stressed that “the labs we use and the protocols we have follow the World Anti Doping Agency ( WADA) regulations.” He said there is “no significant difference between how they (WADA) test the urine and how we test the urine.”
