Mayweather vs Pacquiao – Hugs, Not Drugs, Please..

There’s an annual list released by various financial publications which tally the absolute richest individuals on the planet in chronological order. Whether it’s Carlos Slim Helu, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison or any other name, no algorithm is needed in terms of what their net worth entails and how it’s managed. In short, it wouldn’t be worth their respective time to stop, turn around and pick up a one hundred dollar bill should they drop one or two on the sidewalk.

Likewise, if we’re to believe everything we read, see or hear about the seven seas’ worth of wampum possessed by Floyd Mayweather, Jr., then a five million dollar fine sent his way might be like a minor parking ticket to us. In any case, the recent revelations that the pound for pound champion chose to spike rather than like a desired addendum to his freshly signed contract to fight Manny Pacquiao shouldn’t surprise many of us at all.

He’s long attested that he’s a clean athlete (unless you count Fat Burger and various other fast food joints) and has just as long demanded that his opponents are the exact same. We saw clips of “Sugar” Shane Mosley gladly complying with various PED testing agencies (courtesy of HBO’s four-part “24/7” infomercial series) five years ago prior to his bout with Mayweather, Jr. We’ll get no such biopic reality series for the May 2nd bout which seemingly has the world of boxing on an unfair standstill. There’s no need for it, but similarly, there should be thoughts of a tight-lipped camp on both sides until fight week in Las Vegas. Floyd says he’s blowing off the idea of a five million dollar fine for a failed drug test, which either has us shaking with trepidation at the thought of a canceled bout or needlessly thinking that he’s now among the juicing crowd.

Eggshells, anyone?

Wow. Just wow.

All of this with about six weeks to spare. Wake up. The reality is that all is good in Las Vegas Chinatown, where Mayweather trains daily. He’s not foolish enough to foul up the chance to not only collect a potential nine figure haul, but to also silence the naysayers worldwide with a victory over the one man who many still feel can defeat him. Alas, let us none of us forget that he won’t be told what to do at any time. It’s part of the makeup that has allowed him to get to where he is today and he’s been doing so since Bill Clinton was still in the Oval Office.

Floyd’s promotional company, “TMT,” released a short video last week showing the Sin City native taking part in an old-school training regimen which included a true classic: chopping wood. As he swung away at a finely manicured section of a thick tree, the wood chips danced about thanks to the pummeling being leveled upon it by a man in a long sleeved Polo sweatshirt. Perhaps still to come is the sight of “Money” carrying livestock across his shoulders in the fashion of all time great, George Foreman. The results are the same and the locale doesn’t finally matter at all, yet there’s something interesting about the throwback technique taking place with a multi-bedroom mansion and an astonishing array of Italian sports cars in the background.

No, Floyd’s not doping, juicing or anything of the sort. However, the two muscled gentlemen seen in the video unloading the extremely heavy logs of wood from a van may know a thing or two about getting really, really big.

Who knows and ultimately, who cares? Isn’t it all hard work…..and dedication?

Photo : Chris Farina

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