Mayweather-Pacquiao Testing Kerfuffle Pops Up

Take the test, take the test, he repeated, basically ad nauseum, for what seemed like years.

Yes, Floyd Mayweather was for a long spell guns a blazing about wanting Manny Pacquiao to undergo most stringent PED testing, and he implied that issue was the main hurdle to making the fight back in 2009, 2010, and beyond. That call to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that no banned chemicals were in his system lessened when Team Pacquiao leveled a defamation case at Mayweather, for making public statements which Pacman felt implied he was not a clean fighter, and slurred his rep. That case was settled and Mayweather had to pay Pac a money penalty, and apologize. Floyd Mayweather Sr and Jr put out a release which read, in part, they “wish to make it clear that they never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance-enhancing drugs, nor are they aware of any evidence that Manny Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs.”

Mayweather had jabbed at Pacman and said he was using “power pellets,” never specifying what might be in such pellets. Pacman gets hassled with insinuations frequently, with some naysayers noting that his power has dropped off of late, and many of them say they believe Mayweather maybe was suspicious of the Filipino and thus was inclined to hold off on booking a fight for that reason. Some would say Mayweather, even recently, has made subtle, periodic jabs that Pacquiao’s success came about as a result of his work with strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. He never specified what it was Ariza did that was so telling, however, leaving it open to interpretation and speculation. Ariza himself has a pending case versus Pacman trainer Freddie Roach, alleging defamation surrounding a charge by Roach that Ariza supplied what he labeled iffy cocktails to the boxer when he was employed by Pacman, which he was up until late 2012. Yes, the PED/testing/allegation slurry has been a constant side-note issue in the soap opera that has been Mayweather-Pacquiao since 2009….and it took another turn today. Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz spoke to LA Times reporter Lance Pugmire. He told the writer that Mayweather “refused to agree to a $5 million penalty for a positive drug test.” Koncz said that he wanted both fighters to agree to that massive punishment fee, but a Floyd lawyer nixed it, said Pugmire on Twitter. Koncz told Pugmire he was disappointed, that Floyd should set an example if he truly wants to be the leader in cleaning up the sport, as he has in the past stated. The advisor further stated that the fight could go on if one or I suppose both men tested positive, if the “dirty” fighter appealed the positive.

USADA, the US Anti-Doping Agency, is the body charged with doing the testing, and they do the same for the US Olympic program. Pugmire said he was told by “authorities” that the fight on May 2 could be “stopped on a dime” if someone tests positive. Pugmire told me those “authorities” are USDA people not authorized to discuss details of the testing plan, but ones “confident in their knowledge.

“I reached out to Team Mayweather, to see if he wanted to respond to the Pugmire story. I haven’t heard back as yet. Typically, Floyd speaks to press minimally, usually favoring the website FightHype.com when he feels like talking.

I sent an email request for information and clarification to USADA, and heard back from PR person Christy McGee. Her reponse: “The Mayweather/Pacquiao testing program is 100% compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code. It calls for results to be expedited throughout the program and all results are immediately shared with the Nevada Commission. Any adverse findings are expedited and acted on immediately including prior to the fight, if any. More information on the Code and USADA protocols can be found online at www.USADA.org.”

A friend of mine with a strong base of knowledge in the PED testing sphere who wishes to remain out of the fray brought up some issues and points:

Who would adjudicate a 4-year suspension, that person wondered, after noting that Koncz believes that each fighter is subject to a “four-year competition ban” for a positive test. USADA? Boxing is subject to federal laws, and no testing body has governing control over boxing. No commission, I don’t think would ever ban a boxer four years for a positive test, would they?

This expert is hoping the Nevada Commission will post all results of Mayweather and Pacquiao test results as they become available. This person also wonders how quickly USDADA would be sending results to the Nevada Commission. This issue popped up and blew back in the face of the UFC recently, so it bears asking.

We all wonder, I guess, does the agreement for Mayweather-Pacquiao testing mandate how quickly results get sent to the fighters…to the commission? I am also curious if the Nevada Commission is intimately knowledgable about the USADA agreement, or contract, for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight testing, and if yes, have they agreed to all the language in there..and, if yes, or no, would they have the right to over-rule any sanctioning actions if USADA were inclined to levy them?

Yep, lots to ponder here. This story will be here for a spell, I suspect…

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