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Philippines, 26 Apr 2024 |
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STEROID ALLEGATION: A STROKE OF GENIUS By Greg R. Penilla, M.D. PhilBoxing.com Thu, 07 Jan 2010  It appears that the much anticipated mega fight between the two best boxers in the planet may indeed still happen after all. Boxing fans all over the world are keeping their fingers crossed hoping that the Solomonic wisdom of Judge Weinstein will make Team Pacquiao and Team Mayweather come to a middle ground and agree on a deal for the good of the sports of boxing The initial reports of a relatively problem-free negotiations were simply too good to be true. It would be very un-Mayweather-like to be without controversy. Obviously, the drug testing hullabaloo would have not been an issue at all if not for the brilliant accusation leveled by Floyd Mayweather Sr last year on Pacquiao that he is on steroids or some sort of a performance enhancing drug. Who would have thought that Floyd Sr would come up with such an exceptional scheme? It is a stroke of genius. Manny Pacquiao’s reputation is forever tarnished. Although Pacquiao has agreed to unlimited random urine tests, his refusal to be randomly blood tested no later than 30 days before the fight added to fuel the raging fire of suspicion cleverly planted by team Mayweather on the minds of many. It is regrettable, but Manny Pacquiao’s pristine image is being hammered and is getting a considerable damage in the public relation arena. When a lie is repeated so many times, it creates a life of its own and become a reality in so many people’s mind. Unfortunately, Team Mayweather has already succeeded with their exceptional ploy of accusing Manny of being a cheater. The seeds of doubt have been planted and there is nothing that Pacquiao can do anymore to reverse the harm that has already been inflicted on his character. A negative blood test would vindicate Manny Pacquiao but if it is taken on a pre-determined cutoff date, skeptics would find reasons to point out that it is not really ‘random” and therefore unacceptable. Regrettably, even a completely negative random blood test would still not be enough to some. Lance Armstrong who repeatedly tested negative remains a suspected PED user to this very day. Since the first time that Floyd Sr pointed his accusing finger to Pacquiao, he will forever be under the cloud of suspicion. If one is to accept the Mayweathers’ line of reasoning that Pacquiao is simply too good to be natural, then we have to cast our doubts on every remarkable once in a lifetime super athletes like Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, James Brown, Tiger Woods, etc. Nobody seemed to question LeBron James dominating seasoned NBA players straight out of high school. There was really no magical sudden improvement by Pacquiao. From the beginning, he was extraordinarily good but raw and it took him more than a decade to become the elite fighter that he is now. Floyd pointed out that he was a mere 106 pounder when he debuted as a pro and to dominate at welterweight, he must not be just a gifted fighter but artificially enhanced. In his convoluted mind only Floyd Jr can be great and natural. Manny Pacquiao was 16 years old, dirt poor and undernourished, if not outright malnourished when he first started as a boxer. He had nothing at that time but sheer heart and God-given talent. He did not have the luxury of proper nutrition, world class training and support. If Manny Pacquiao was raised in the U.S. and had the best trainer, the best nutrition, the best equipment, the best support and the best coaching just like Floyd Jr had, he probably would have debuted at 18 or 20 as a lightweight and would still be undefeated. Manny Pacquiao is not alone who has dominated across several weight classes, but nobody questioned Oscar De La Hoya, Alexis Arguello, Roberto Duran, and yes, even Floyd Jr. For at least the past five years, Pacquiao has pretty much been fighting in the 140’s on fight night but drained, hungry and dehydrated to 126, 130 and 135 at weigh in the day before. But when his weight issue and greatly improved skills are discussed by cynics and jealous fighters, they seem to suggest that he just became better overnight through chemical means and not through hard work, more sophisticated training, world’s best coaching, better nutrition and of course, in-born talent. Elite athletes have always sought an advantage over their opponents, be it physical or mental. The mental component may be under rated. Larry Bird may not be the most athletically gifted basketball player but his mental focus was legendary. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant want the last shot knowing that there is no doubt in their minds that when the game is on the line, they will deliver. Floyd not only wants a physical advantage but also to have a mental edge over Pacquiao and win even before they step on the ring but also wants to make sure he has the physical advantage. He is succeeding. For now, round one goes to Team Mayweather. Pacquiao had been ridiculed for claiming he is weakened by blood drawing specially if done close to fight night. Physiologically, drawing a couple of vials of blood should not make any tangible decline in strength. But it is well known that big, muscular, strong and tough individuals squirm like little girls when blood is drawn from them. In my more than 25 years of medical practice, I have seen many of those guys (yes, mostly men). Pacquiao must be very concerned rightfully or wrongly that if blood is drawn from him too close to the biggest fight of his career, he may not be at his best. And when that iota of doubt settles in an obscure cranny of his psyche, then the Mayweathers have accomplished what they want. Take the mental edge off Pacquaio. A video footage from 2005 of a Pacquaio post fight interview, discussing his apparent weakness during the first Morales fight seems to give some credence to his claim that the blood drawing 2 days before that fight took something out of him. Even Morales claimed that Pacquaio’s usually powerful punches did not hurt him. Once that doubt permeates and saturates his psyche made fragile by the act of drawing blood, then he becomes vulnerable just as like having Kobe Bryant doubting himself for a mere millisecond that he cannot make a buzzer beater. Floyd is messing with Manny’s mind and he’s getting very successful. When Floyd deliberately did not make weight during the Marquez fight so that he can have an overwhelming physical advantage, is that a form of cheating? By refusing to be weighed on fight night for HBO’s unofficial weight, he must be concealing the fact that he might be closer to 160, an almost 20 pound difference over Marquez. That well executed and premeditated plan to overwhelm an already much smaller, older and slower opponent must be worse than using PED’s. Judge Weinstein will find a solution to resolve these drug testing issues and the boxing world is hoping to wake on one morning this week with an announcement that the Fight of the Century will indeed happen with Pacquiao humiliating Floyd Jr. to a crushing defeat. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Greg R. Penilla, M.D..  |
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