Tweet
Manny has no problems with taking the blood tests even close to the fight.
Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao Won't Submit to Blood Test
Manny Pacquiao is apparently refusing to take a blood test prior to the proposed fight with Floyd Mayweather on the advice of his trainer, Freddie Roach.
"A urine drug test, I'll do every day of the week. But giving blood before a fight, I will not let my fighter do," Roach said during a telephone call from his Wild Card Boxing Club on Tuesday.
"And they can't guarantee me that that won't happen the day before a fight because they want random testing. So it's my choice. So if you want to blame somebody, blame me."
Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who is handling the fight's negotiations on behalf of Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), indicated in a press release on Tuesday that the Mayweather-Paqcuiao megabout is now in jeopardy after he first learned of Pacquiao's decision to not comply with the Olympic-style drug testing from Top Rank president Todd duBoef.
Initially it was thought that Pacquiao had agreed, in principal, to the testing, in accordance with other stipulations for the bout, including a 50-50 financial split, eight-ounce gloves and the weight of 147 pounds, according to Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz.
"Negotiations are at an impasse because their failure to agree to an Olympic-style, random drug-testing. And as management, we are insisting that this be done in a manner in which there is a level playing field. And the way to do that is through Olympic-style, random drug-testing," Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, told FanHouse.
"The premier agency to administer this is the United States Anti-Doping Agency. If it's good enough for Lance Armstrong, Lebron James, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather, then why shouldn't it be good enough for Manny Pacquiao.
"Hopefully, this is some type of misunderstanding, or Manny Pacquiao isn't aware of this. Because, surely, I can't imagine him refusing to do this and walking away from the biggest fight in the history of boxing."
Neither Koncz, nor Top Rank promoter, Bob Arum, could be contacted Tuesday.
But Roach has told FanHouse that he has "no problem" with drug-testing of Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), a seven-division champion who has carried his power from his initial weight class at 106 pounds all the way through to 147.
"Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter. It's something foolish anyway. Why would we be concerned? We know he doesn't do any of that s**t," Koncz told FanHouse.
"If the commission decides to do any testing then maybe they'll find something in Floyd. Because they certainly won't find anything in Manny."
The notion of steroid use by Pacquiao first surfaced back on Sept. 15, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. told The Grand Rapids Press, "I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not."
Roach and Pacquiao were then informed of Floyd Sr.'s implications for the first time by FanHouse.
"Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from?" asked Roach, referring to Pacquiao's second-round victory over Ricky Hatton, who was trained by Floyd Sr. at the time.
"You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lose," said Roach. "They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."
Pacquiao seemed equally perplexed.
"You know what? I don't even know what a steroid is," said Pacquiao. "I've never done that. Maybe all of them -- they're using the steroids, and not me."
Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete's blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
"Hopefully, this is some type of misunderstanding, and this isn't about Top Rank or Mayweather promotions. This is about the fans and the sport deserving a level playing field," Ellerbe told FanHouse. "The only way that we can assure that is through Olympic-Style random drug-testing. And as management, we are insisting that this happen."
But in a press release on Tuesday, Schaefer said that he was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who told him 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.
"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," Schaefer was quoted as saying in the release.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," said Schaefer.
"Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes."
Mayweather was also quoted in the release.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does. But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level," said Mayweather.
"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," said Mayweather.
"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."
Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao Won't Submit to Blood Test
Manny Pacquiao is apparently refusing to take a blood test prior to the proposed fight with Floyd Mayweather on the advice of his trainer, Freddie Roach.
"A urine drug test, I'll do every day of the week. But giving blood before a fight, I will not let my fighter do," Roach said during a telephone call from his Wild Card Boxing Club on Tuesday.
"And they can't guarantee me that that won't happen the day before a fight because they want random testing. So it's my choice. So if you want to blame somebody, blame me."
Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who is handling the fight's negotiations on behalf of Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), indicated in a press release on Tuesday that the Mayweather-Paqcuiao megabout is now in jeopardy after he first learned of Pacquiao's decision to not comply with the Olympic-style drug testing from Top Rank president Todd duBoef.
Initially it was thought that Pacquiao had agreed, in principal, to the testing, in accordance with other stipulations for the bout, including a 50-50 financial split, eight-ounce gloves and the weight of 147 pounds, according to Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz.
"Negotiations are at an impasse because their failure to agree to an Olympic-style, random drug-testing. And as management, we are insisting that this be done in a manner in which there is a level playing field. And the way to do that is through Olympic-style, random drug-testing," Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, told FanHouse.
"The premier agency to administer this is the United States Anti-Doping Agency. If it's good enough for Lance Armstrong, Lebron James, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather, then why shouldn't it be good enough for Manny Pacquiao.
"Hopefully, this is some type of misunderstanding, or Manny Pacquiao isn't aware of this. Because, surely, I can't imagine him refusing to do this and walking away from the biggest fight in the history of boxing."
Neither Koncz, nor Top Rank promoter, Bob Arum, could be contacted Tuesday.
But Roach has told FanHouse that he has "no problem" with drug-testing of Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), a seven-division champion who has carried his power from his initial weight class at 106 pounds all the way through to 147.
"Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter. It's something foolish anyway. Why would we be concerned? We know he doesn't do any of that s**t," Koncz told FanHouse.
"If the commission decides to do any testing then maybe they'll find something in Floyd. Because they certainly won't find anything in Manny."
The notion of steroid use by Pacquiao first surfaced back on Sept. 15, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. told The Grand Rapids Press, "I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not."
Roach and Pacquiao were then informed of Floyd Sr.'s implications for the first time by FanHouse.
"Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from?" asked Roach, referring to Pacquiao's second-round victory over Ricky Hatton, who was trained by Floyd Sr. at the time.
"You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lose," said Roach. "They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."
Pacquiao seemed equally perplexed.
"You know what? I don't even know what a steroid is," said Pacquiao. "I've never done that. Maybe all of them -- they're using the steroids, and not me."
Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete's blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.
"Hopefully, this is some type of misunderstanding, and this isn't about Top Rank or Mayweather promotions. This is about the fans and the sport deserving a level playing field," Ellerbe told FanHouse. "The only way that we can assure that is through Olympic-Style random drug-testing. And as management, we are insisting that this happen."
But in a press release on Tuesday, Schaefer said that he was contacted by Top Rank President Todd duBoef, who told him 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.
"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," Schaefer was quoted as saying in the release.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," said Schaefer.
"Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes."
Mayweather was also quoted in the release.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does. But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level," said Mayweather.
"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," said Mayweather.
"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."
Comment