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Is Floyd Mayweather afraid to fight Manny Pacquiao? Was it just tasteless gamesmanship, an attempt to gain a mental edge? Did he really want to fight Pacquiao on March 13th? Whatever your answer is to the above questions, the fact remains that Manny Pacquiao should have accepted team Mayweather's request for a more rigourous testing regime. Why you ask? There are several reasons.
Mayweather's demands that both he and Pacquiao undergo random drug testing may not have been for the most honourable reasons. His intentions for such demands are questionable at best. Do we really believe it was for some righteous purpose, or a crusade to clean up a sport whose PED detection measures have been labelled "grossly inadequate." The answer is probably not! In some respects Mayweather could be lauded for wanting to show the world that arguably the biggest boxing match ever would be contested by two drug-free modern day gladiators. It's a nice proposition. It's more likely Mayweather wanted to apply some lessons learned from Sun Tzu's Art of War and gain an early advantage. Most have chosen to view the situation as an accusation levelled by Mayweather against Pacquiao asking if his recent march up the weight divisions has been entirely his own and not aided by something more sinister.
As we all know (unless you have been living under a rock) Pacquiao chose not to agree to Mayweather's demands and the fight is "on hold." Surely the one they call The Pacman must have realised the damage that would be done to his reputation given his refusal? Many people (myself included) are now legitimately asking why Pacquiao would refuse to be randomly tested if he has nothing to hide? Surely his adviser/s in Bob Arum and Michael Koncz pointed out the forseeable questions that would be raised by refusing Mayweather's demands. Surely they would have pointed out the lingering damage this would do to his reputation. Inevitably his refusal would have many suspecting that maybe Floyd might be on to something.
Agreeing to Mayweather's demands in a deliberate and immediate fashion would have laid this issue to rest swiftly, and would have made Floyd to look foolish and desperate for even asking. But now, the damage is done. Even if Pacquiao eventually agrees and is found to be clean, most will speculate why he refused to sign a contract to make potentially upwards of $40 million, and instead chose to fight a lesser (apologies to Joshua Clottey, but even he knows it's true) opponent for much less money. Perhaps Pacquiqo did not want to risk being beaten in the lead up to his tilt for political office in his native Phillipines. Or maybe Pacquiao's recent bulldozing of Hatton and Cotto was aided by illegal supplementation. Only the man himself truly knows the answer.
Pacquiao appeared to have the upper hand over Mayweather when fight negotiations crumbled with the quick signing of a deal to face the rugged Joshua Clottey in Texas. This however has been trumped with the recent news of an all-American showdown in Vegas between the Pretty Boy and Sugar Shane Mosley, a fight that has been a decade in the making, a fight that should out-sell Pacquiao v Clottey in PPV sales two to one. Pacquiao not agreeing to random drug testing (in this writers opinion) may yet prove to be the biggest strategic error in a career that has been expertly guided by veteran promoter Bob Arum.
If Mayweather were to beat Mosley (especially in a convincing fashion) the pressure and focus will shift from Floyd onto Pacquiao. The pressure to agree to random testing to make the biggest fight ever will continue to mount on the Phillipino icon who would have no choice but to comply or be roundly criticised. As it stands today Mayweather has the upper hand on Pacquiao from a moral viewpoint and a boxing viewpoint. Shane Mosley despite his advancing years is sill a more credible opponent than Joshua Clottey and Mayweather has the chance to turn the screws on Pacquaio if he can win big against Shane Mosley. For his part Shane Mosley will be looking to throw a wrench into Mayweather's grand plans on the night of May 1st at MGM Grand Las Vegas. Either way 2010 is shaping up as a big year in boxing.
Mayweather's demands that both he and Pacquiao undergo random drug testing may not have been for the most honourable reasons. His intentions for such demands are questionable at best. Do we really believe it was for some righteous purpose, or a crusade to clean up a sport whose PED detection measures have been labelled "grossly inadequate." The answer is probably not! In some respects Mayweather could be lauded for wanting to show the world that arguably the biggest boxing match ever would be contested by two drug-free modern day gladiators. It's a nice proposition. It's more likely Mayweather wanted to apply some lessons learned from Sun Tzu's Art of War and gain an early advantage. Most have chosen to view the situation as an accusation levelled by Mayweather against Pacquiao asking if his recent march up the weight divisions has been entirely his own and not aided by something more sinister.
As we all know (unless you have been living under a rock) Pacquiao chose not to agree to Mayweather's demands and the fight is "on hold." Surely the one they call The Pacman must have realised the damage that would be done to his reputation given his refusal? Many people (myself included) are now legitimately asking why Pacquiao would refuse to be randomly tested if he has nothing to hide? Surely his adviser/s in Bob Arum and Michael Koncz pointed out the forseeable questions that would be raised by refusing Mayweather's demands. Surely they would have pointed out the lingering damage this would do to his reputation. Inevitably his refusal would have many suspecting that maybe Floyd might be on to something.
Agreeing to Mayweather's demands in a deliberate and immediate fashion would have laid this issue to rest swiftly, and would have made Floyd to look foolish and desperate for even asking. But now, the damage is done. Even if Pacquiao eventually agrees and is found to be clean, most will speculate why he refused to sign a contract to make potentially upwards of $40 million, and instead chose to fight a lesser (apologies to Joshua Clottey, but even he knows it's true) opponent for much less money. Perhaps Pacquiqo did not want to risk being beaten in the lead up to his tilt for political office in his native Phillipines. Or maybe Pacquiao's recent bulldozing of Hatton and Cotto was aided by illegal supplementation. Only the man himself truly knows the answer.
Pacquiao appeared to have the upper hand over Mayweather when fight negotiations crumbled with the quick signing of a deal to face the rugged Joshua Clottey in Texas. This however has been trumped with the recent news of an all-American showdown in Vegas between the Pretty Boy and Sugar Shane Mosley, a fight that has been a decade in the making, a fight that should out-sell Pacquiao v Clottey in PPV sales two to one. Pacquiao not agreeing to random drug testing (in this writers opinion) may yet prove to be the biggest strategic error in a career that has been expertly guided by veteran promoter Bob Arum.
If Mayweather were to beat Mosley (especially in a convincing fashion) the pressure and focus will shift from Floyd onto Pacquiao. The pressure to agree to random testing to make the biggest fight ever will continue to mount on the Phillipino icon who would have no choice but to comply or be roundly criticised. As it stands today Mayweather has the upper hand on Pacquiao from a moral viewpoint and a boxing viewpoint. Shane Mosley despite his advancing years is sill a more credible opponent than Joshua Clottey and Mayweather has the chance to turn the screws on Pacquaio if he can win big against Shane Mosley. For his part Shane Mosley will be looking to throw a wrench into Mayweather's grand plans on the night of May 1st at MGM Grand Las Vegas. Either way 2010 is shaping up as a big year in boxing.
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