ESPN.com ran with what seemed like good news with regards to the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao drug testing roadblock. It appears the Pacquiao quote in the story is phony.
During January negotiations, Mayweather wanted final testing to be done 14 days before the fight and Pacquiao wouldn’t budge from his 24 day demand. Today, ESPN along with several other major website ran this quote supposedly from Pacquiao’s website:
“I am willing to help the sport for the future of the sport. I do not want to see anyone cheat or cheat this sport. For that reason I am willing to consider taking blood [tests] as close as 14 days prior to the fight, as long as my opponent does the same, and it is not a lot of blood, just enough to test,” Pacquiao is quoted as saying on his official website.
Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum is saying the quote is false and the fighter himself says he never said such a thing and never spoke with the website’s writer, Timothy James.
BoxingScene.com spoke with Pacman’s adviser Michael Koncz.
“He never spoke to any reporter and never heard of the guy,” said Koncz. “He never talked to anybody about boxing and his main concern is campaigning and winning the election on May 10. (Floyd) Mayweather is not even in our minds or in our thoughts.”
Pacquiao sounds no different than he did back in January when negotiation fell apart in the first place.
“We’ll fight Mayweather or any other fighter anytime, any place under the rules and regulations of the Commission of the state where that fight takes place,” said Koncz quoting Pacquiao.
The original website post at 2:30 a.m. on May 3 claimed Pacquiao gave the quotes for an official statement on his website.
