Looking back at the stalled talks between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Golden Boy were probably fairly sure that they had the situation under control. They represented Mayweather and Pacquiao was with Top Rank, pretty cut and dry stuff.
The intangible that they seemingly didn’t factor in was Amir Khan, who paradoxically is a training partner of Pacquiao but signed to Golden Boy promotions.
Comments from Khan’s probably next opponent Paulie Malignaggi seem to suggest that he suspects Khan of taking whatever he thinks his training partner and friend Manny Pacquiao took.
All the evidence points to neither having taken anything, but if you throw enough mud some sticks, and there are a few within the boxing world who believe the numerous accusations leveled at the pound for pound champ, and now Khan by association.
It wasn’t as if Malignaggi actually said anything overly strong, but even a few remarks are enough to make every interviewer and fan he speaks to ask him about it in the near future. The Boxing Truth radio show also has a pedigree for getting the truth out of unwary figures within the sport, and was the stage for Roger Mayweather’s now notorious A-side meth tirade. These things tend to have a way of blowing out of proportion rather than dying down after the first slip of the tongue.
Malignaggi used the example of James Toney as a dirty Wild Card gym fighter who tested positive for steroids in the past. The character of Toney is a far cry from either Pacquiao or Khan of course, but the power of suggestion can be a powerful thing.
When Golden Boy represented Mayweather in his insinuations and smear campaign they presumably didn’t think any harm would come of it. The rot of drug suspicion is now affecting one of their own fighters though, and a rising star who will no doubt make them millions in the future at that.
In many ways it serves Golden Boy right that they allowed Maywather to get his way and supported his wild and baseless accusations. After all, other than his own rather warped logic that fighters don’t improve over the age of 25, what else was he going on?
Dean Phillips, Pittsburgh PA: “What are Golden boy going to say now, say that their own fighter needs to undergo extra testing because a different fighter of theirs accused someone he trains with? What a mess, and it’s all because of Floyd Mayweather being scared of Manny Pacquiao”
The innocent party in all this though is Khan, who by choice of his training partners and the addled thinking of a small number of fighters, is being tarred with the same brush as Pacquiao was.
Khan, while impressive does not even have any of the imaginary hallmarks of drug use that Mayweather accused Pacquiao of. He hasn’t improved after the age of 25 because he isn’t even that old yet. He hasn’t been knocking out bigger opponents after struggling with smaller fighters because he has always he had a big punch. Finally he hasn’t suddenly become invincible because he has always had a shaky chin, and he has yet to face a big puncher after his sole loss.
Golden Boy now find themselves in the difficult position of having to support their fighters when they accuse, and defending others who have been accused.
David Harrow, Pittsburgh PA: “Malignaggi always makes me laugh, I think he’s smarter than people give him credit for and a lot of what he says is just to keep people talking about him. Its not like the guy knocks people out left and right”
I think there might be something to this, although Malignaggi is always someone who just speaks his mind and isn’t worried about who he offends.
Chris Harrison, Bolton, UK: “Who is Malignaggi anyway, that greasy guido that Ricky Hatton beat up all over the ring? He’s not fit to lace Khan’s boots”
That’s one way of putting it Chris. Malignaggi is apparently looking for a rematch with Hatton after the Khan fight, if Hatton actually comes back and wins his first return bout that is.
