By T.K. Stewart

Despite the threat of legal action by Manny Pacquiao for defamation, Uncle Roger and Floyd Mayweather, Sr. maintain that blood testing is necessary in order for the proposed March 13 fight to take place between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

In recent days, both men have intoned that Pacquiao, who has never once tested positive for any performance enhancing substance, is up to something nefarious.

On Tuesday, Pacquiao released a statement in which he addressed the comments that have called into question his integrity and character when it comes to the use of performance enhancing drugs.

“I can’t believe these guys can lie without batting an eyelash and they would even make it appear that I am the culprit for the delay of the fight and saying that I don’t want it to happen,” said Pacquiao, who has balked at the Olympic style drug test proposal demanded by Team Mayweather.

But none of that has stopped Roger or Floyd, Sr. from alluding to the fact that everything Pacquiao has accomplished has not been the result of “white rice” as Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach claims.

“We gonna’ find out what he got in his system when these real doctors have him take the tests,” said Roger, who trains Mayweather, Jr. “I know he’s got somethin’ in his system anyway, you see? We’ll find out what he got in his system.”

Mayweather, Sr. maintains that with or without drugs, Pacquiao won’t stand much of a chance against his son if they ever do step into the ring together.

“I’ll be honest with you,” Floyd, Sr. told BoxingScene.com. “I think that Manny Pacquiao, skill wise, I don’t see no skills in Manny Pacquiao. Honestly, I don’t. I think Manny is on some type of something, supplements, whatever you want to call it. But personally, I don’t think he could beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not.”

As the caustic rhetoric between the two camps has increased and the negotiations for the mega fight are close to imploding, neither Mayweather has backed away from their controversial comments.

“That’s just my opinion,” Mayweather, Sr. said of Pacquiao’s possible drug use. “That’s just my opinion and I’m entitled to it. They told Manny to get a lawyer, Freddie told him to get a lawyer. So, you know, all’s I can is it’s my opinion.”