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Mayweather suffers Pacquiao blood backlash
Floyd Mayweather's demands for blood tests have infuriated fans of Manny Pacquiao resulting in a lawsuit and campaigns against the unbeaten American.
By Graeme Bradley
06 January 2010 16:49 PM
Floyd Mayweather Jr could not have been prepared for the reaction to his demand for greater drug testing ahead of his proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather’s insinuations that Pacquiao has been using performance enhancing drugs have resulted in a lawsuit for defamation, his career-defining fight being thrown into doubt, a campaign for his sponsors to drop him and a huge finger pointing the blame directly at him.
Mayweather’s troubles began when he demanded both he and Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style blood tests carried out by the US Anti-doping Agency in the run-up to their Las Vegas fight, tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand. Mayweather also found himself in hot water with the Nevada State Athletics Commission, the highly respected body which carries out drug tests on boxers fighting in the state.
Pacquiao, who has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, was outraged and refused to submit himself to Mayweather's demands. The 31-year-old then sued Mayweather and his entourage including his father Floyd Mayweather Sr and Golden Boy Promotions executives Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya.
The increasingly unlikely showdown between the two pound-for-pound greats has the potential to be the biggest fight in the sport’s history. Fans are furious that such a huge fight may never come to fruition and their fury is directed at ‘Money’ Mayweather.
The Los Angeles Times launched an online poll on Monday asking who was to blame for the impasse between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Of the 11,803 votes, a staggering 91 percent of those blame Mayweather and his promoters.
Fans of Filipino superstar Pacquiao have also launched an online petition urging US communications giant AT&T and other sponsors to drop their endorsement of Mayweather. The petition was initiated by journalist Kevin Riley who explained he launched the campaign in response to the Mayweather camp’s “unfounded, unwarranted and unjustified accusations” of performance enhancement drug use against Pacquiao.
Regardless of Mayweather’s intentions, be it to tarnish the name of Pacquiao or gain a psychological advantage, both parties are currently holding mediation talks with retired judge Daniel Weinstein in an attempt to save the fight. After nine hours of discussions on Tuesday it seems the fight is no closer to being confirmed one way or the other. But with both parties under a gag order the next release of information from either will be “yay” or “nay”. Boxing fans will be hoping the pair settle their differences in the ring and not in the courtroom.
Last updated: 06 January 2010, 16:47
Floyd Mayweather's demands for blood tests have infuriated fans of Manny Pacquiao resulting in a lawsuit and campaigns against the unbeaten American.
By Graeme Bradley
06 January 2010 16:49 PM
Floyd Mayweather Jr could not have been prepared for the reaction to his demand for greater drug testing ahead of his proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather’s insinuations that Pacquiao has been using performance enhancing drugs have resulted in a lawsuit for defamation, his career-defining fight being thrown into doubt, a campaign for his sponsors to drop him and a huge finger pointing the blame directly at him.
Mayweather’s troubles began when he demanded both he and Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style blood tests carried out by the US Anti-doping Agency in the run-up to their Las Vegas fight, tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand. Mayweather also found himself in hot water with the Nevada State Athletics Commission, the highly respected body which carries out drug tests on boxers fighting in the state.
Pacquiao, who has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, was outraged and refused to submit himself to Mayweather's demands. The 31-year-old then sued Mayweather and his entourage including his father Floyd Mayweather Sr and Golden Boy Promotions executives Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya.
The increasingly unlikely showdown between the two pound-for-pound greats has the potential to be the biggest fight in the sport’s history. Fans are furious that such a huge fight may never come to fruition and their fury is directed at ‘Money’ Mayweather.
The Los Angeles Times launched an online poll on Monday asking who was to blame for the impasse between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Of the 11,803 votes, a staggering 91 percent of those blame Mayweather and his promoters.
Fans of Filipino superstar Pacquiao have also launched an online petition urging US communications giant AT&T and other sponsors to drop their endorsement of Mayweather. The petition was initiated by journalist Kevin Riley who explained he launched the campaign in response to the Mayweather camp’s “unfounded, unwarranted and unjustified accusations” of performance enhancement drug use against Pacquiao.
Regardless of Mayweather’s intentions, be it to tarnish the name of Pacquiao or gain a psychological advantage, both parties are currently holding mediation talks with retired judge Daniel Weinstein in an attempt to save the fight. After nine hours of discussions on Tuesday it seems the fight is no closer to being confirmed one way or the other. But with both parties under a gag order the next release of information from either will be “yay” or “nay”. Boxing fans will be hoping the pair settle their differences in the ring and not in the courtroom.
Last updated: 06 January 2010, 16:47
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