Bad blood continued to run between the two camps and unless Floyd Mayweather’s camp agrees to a compromise being offered by Bob Arum then the fight being billed as the biggest fight of the new century will definitely go down the drain.
Arum, the Top Rank honcho and promoter of pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao, yesterday told the press that Pacquiao will agree to blood testing but only if it’s administered by those in charge of the NBA, NFL and the Major League.
Mayweather’s camp wants it done by the US Anti-Doping Agency, which has the right to take as many as five blood tests and 12 urine tests during a 10-week period before, and that includes the day of the fight itself, and after the bout.
Arum said it won’t happen because Pacquiao insists that he feels weak after a blood test. Instead, Arum said both boxers can take blood tests on the first week of January, 30 days before the fight and right after the fight.
The fight was declared “off” the other day because of the blood issue. And here comes what seems to be a good compromise on the part of Team Pacquiao. Now the question is will the other side agree. Well, it seems not.
“This is a simple question. If you have nothing to hide, then why not comply?” Mayweather’s chief adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, told Greg Bishop of the New York Times.
Arum found a simple answer, saying, “This is a simple issue. Floyd Mayweather does not want this fight. And this is his way out. This is a smoke screen.”
Pacquiao, busy with the premiere of his movie “Wapakman” in Manila yesterday, said Mayweather must be running scared, that’s why they came up with the blood-testing issue.
Pacquiao, according to his lawyer, Franklin Gacal, won’t lose sleep if the Mayweather fight doesn’t push through because he can easily make $20 million fighting someone else, where he wants it, when he wants it.
In fact, Gacal said they can start looking at Juan Manuel Marquez or Yuri Foreman, and can fight either guy on March 13 even after the May 2010 elections where Pacquiao will seek a congressional seat.
“Manny can agree to the blood testing if done the way Mr. Arum has proposed. But we remain firm in our demand for a $10 million fine for every fraction or pound in excess of 147 pounds, plus the option not to fight,” he said.
Gacal confirmed yesterday that the fight contract has not been signed yet, not by Pacquiao, not by Mayweather.
“And all these high blood issue is all part of the negotiations. Or part of the hype,” said Gacal.
“Takot sa akin (He’s scared of me),” Pacquiao said of Mayweather, whose father, Floyd Sr. raised the issue that Pacquiao, who had gone up from 105 lb to become a seven-time world champion, now at 147 lb, is into steroids.
“I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame 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,” the undefeated American was quoted by the guardian.co.uk.
“My gut feeling is Mayweather doesn’t want to do the fight and this is his excuse. Period,” Arum told Reuters.
“He has this illusion of himself ruling the world. But he doesn’t rule my world. He doesn’t rule Manny’s world,” Arum added.
No comments:
Post a Comment