By Jamal Dicky
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During negotiations for the HBO Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, the “Pacman” Manny Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach have gotten everything they wanted on their wish list – 8 ounce Cleto Reyes Punchers gloves, 50-50 split in revenue, 147 pound weight limit, $10 million dollar fine for every pound Mayweather Jr. weighs over the welterweight limit of 147 lbs.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. the one everyone thought would make this negotiation difficult is the man who obliged to all of those requests team Pacquiao had made. But Team Pacquiao cannot give Floyd Mayweather Jr. one simple request that each fighter go through an Olympic style drug testing which includes randomized testing of the fighters urine and blood throughout training camp.
The way Manny, Freddie Roach and Bob Arum handled this was very unprofessional they became defensive and irate almost like they were already guilty and had something to hide.
The reason for Olympic or randomized blood testing is so the fighter cannot get a heads up so he knows when to cycle off of the drugs so it won’t be detected in blood and urine samples. HGH or Human Growth Hormone which helps improve recovery is known to only be traceable in blood for 24-48 hours upon injection. HGH is not detectable through urine, blood sampling is the only known test that will detect HGH.
Pacquiao and his team offering to do a blood test right after the figt is not a good enough offer. The reason being that Manny Pacquiao can just go back home to his native country of the Philippines and never take the test making Floyd and his team chase after him.
Pacquiao could beat Mayeather unfair with performance enhancers and we would never really know unless he accepts the randomized blood tests. I do not buy the excuse that he is superstitious or scared of needles, if a man was scared of needles why would he be getting so many tattoos and have his ears pierced?
Mayweather Jr. has no tattoos and I would guess that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is more afraid of needles than Manny Pacquiao yet Mayweather is willing to undergo the same exact blood tests he is requesting of Pacquiao.
I strongly suggest for the sake of the fans, the sport and most importantly to Manny Pacquiao’s good name and legacy that someone from his camp explain to him that the blood test will not make him weak and many famous and respected athletes have went through the same tests at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The blood test didn’t hinder any of these athletes from going on to win the Gold Medal at the Olympics like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Lebron James and Manny’s friend Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant all were subject to random blood tests even on the same day of the events.
I hope this is all just a miscommunication between the two camps because it would look bad for the sport of boxing that one of it’s most beloved superstars(Manny Pacquiao) and role model to many young athletes around the world is avoiding an even playing field and preventing the most important historical boxing event in years from happening all because of a standard drug test that athletes the world over submit to.
Please Manny give the fans their Christmas wish prove that you are clean and get the fight on.
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