Boxing has reached it’s climax. This is what true anticipation really means. And as much as I hate to admit it, we are at the mercy of two of this era’s best fighters who are at the peak of their illustrious careers.
Manny and Money.
Offense versus Defense.
Humility versus Arrogance.
Power versus Finesse.
East versus West.
I can go on forever with this. What makes this match-up between two elite fighters even greater is the very fact that they are such polarizing individuals.
Their personalities, image and fighting styles can’t be anymore opposite from the other, but despite their different paths and means, they now find themselves at a similar place- on top of the boxing world.
People can debate for hours on who is the better fighter is or who will win in a hypothetical fight, but the fact of the matter is, we all just want to see it. You already know where I stand and I respect any person who presents a sensible rebuttal based on facts and void from childish name-calling.
Opinions may vary but one thing every fight fanatic agrees on is that Pacquiao vs. Mayweather needs to happen.
We all know that the biggest stumbling block in this fight’s negotiations is the random style drug testing Mayweather has demanded Pacquiao to take. We’ve debated and discussed that topic multiple times so I’ll simply focus on the alternatives and compromise each fighter can take to finally give fans what they want.
So how do you solve the $50 million dollar hurdle for each fighter? Should be a piece of cake if you ask me, and honestly, I find it hard to believe that both sides can be so stubborn and walk away from so much money to do what they have trained their whole lives for to do.
Let’s assume Mayweather really believes Pacquiao is on some performance enhancing drugs and Pacquiao in his part feels that Mayweather simply wants an advantage against him and just does not like the thought of being bullied by the guy.
Here are some of the suggestions I’ve come across (both sensible and not so) and some I have thought of as well:
1. Pacquiao should state that he will agree to Mayweather’s test demands under arbitration that will be open to all media and the public as the NSAC deliberates the value and effectiveness of the WADA style testing. If NSAC adopts the PED random style blood testing and have it done for ALL fights in the state of Nevada, then Pacquiao will agree to take the random blood tests, but if NSAC proves that such tests are unnecessary, then Floyd should agree to fight Pacquiao under normal terms every other boxer in the world has to go through.
2. Pacquiao should agree to take the 14-day cutoff test as long as the fight happens in the Philippines. If he thinks Mayweather will have an advantage with him losing blood, Pacquiao will have the advantage of being familiar with the Philippines’ humid weather.
3. Pacquiao should suggest to have both fighters’ blood drawn immediately after the fight for the whole world to see.
4. Find the least amount of blood needed to be taken out to perform the tests. I heard some people say only a teaspoon of blood is needed for PED testing. While watching Mayweather-Mosley 24/7, we saw at least 4 vials of blood being taken from the fighters each time they had to get their blood drawn. If all they need is a few drops of blood to perform the test, they can use those tiny painless gadgets to have Pacquiao’s fingers pricked for about 6-8 drops of blood each time. That will take away Pacquiao’s fear of getting weakened by the strenuous blood drawing.
5. Pacquiao should just agree to the 14-day cutoff test and demand a rematch clause that states that if he loses, the rematch would be done under normal NSAC commission rules.
6. Pacquiao should stipulate that if he takes the 14-day tests and comes out negative and then he beats Mayweather, that he will get a 90-10 split of the pot. If he tests positive, fight is cancelled and he should pay Mayweather $20 millions dollars or a huge amount in that ballpark.
7. Pacquiao should agree to the 14-day tests only if Oscar Dela Hoya will make the findings of his old tests public. Read Thomas Hauser’s article on this issue.
Those are just some of the suggestions I’ve come across and thought of. Let me hear your thoughts and suggestions as well. Perhaps if we take away all the excuses from both camps, sooner than later, they’ll finally be forced to make this fight happen. Leave your comments below.
