Since Antonio Margarito’s appeal for a new license was denied by the California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday, many boxing fans assume that Texas will follow suit. It has become questionable as to whom Pacquiao will fight in November. The names that have been dropped include Berto, Bradley and Marquez.
There’s another option. A much better one.
Also on Wednesday, John Martinez of Boxscore News reported on his recent conversation with Floyd’s uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather. Roger made it abundantly clear that they definitely want the Pacquiao fight, and that the cutoff date that Pacquiao insisted on was the major hang-up. He also said that it’s likely that Floyd will fight again this year.
When Floyd Mayweather Jr. first proposed Olympic style random drug testing during the first attempt at negotiating the mega-fight, many, including this writer, felt that Manny Pacquiao was only defiant because his pride wouldn’t allow him to stoop to Mayweather’s demands.
Since that time, problems with that ideology have emerged.
If Pacquiao’s pride wouldn’t allow him to agree to Mayweather’s proposed 14 day cutoff for the first negotiations, why didn’t his pride prevent him from changing his stance from 30 days to 24 days, and finally to 14 days the second time around? The pride issue is now a moot point.
Wouldn’t taking the fully random testing, proving to the world that he has nothing to hide and beating Mayweather be a much greater source of pride than demanding a cutoff date and leaving a lingering doubt in the minds of the fans?
A lot of people feel that it’s ridiculous for Mayweather to demand testing all the way up to the fight. After all, they assert, what kind of steroids could Pacquiao do inside of 14 days that could actually be advantageous?
Admittedly, I once subscribed to the same view, but there’s a problem with it. It’s not just about steroids.
There are plenty of substances besides steroids and HGH that can offer great performance enhancing benefits in a very short period of time. Certain long distance cyclers who understand the advantages of blood doping could attest to the fact that the benefits are immediate. An EPO user can withstand longer training sessions due to markedly increased endurance and quicker recovery due to vastly increased oxygen in the blood. It’s easy to see why a highly increased energy level would be highly beneficial to a boxer.
Am I saying that Pacquiao is cheating? Absolutely not.
Do I think that there are ways to cheat inside that small, 14-day window? Absolutely.
After all the information that has been made public by doping experts like Victor Conte, one would have to have his head fully buried in the sand to not understand that fact.
Boxing fan, Jarrod Essman of Charleston, Arkansas said; “I think if he’s gonna fight, then get the test and get to work. If he agrees to the testing, then the cutoff date needs to be abolished.
There is still time for the fight to be made this year. The greatest fighter in the sport needs to take the fully random blood testing and fight the greatest boxer in the sport.
Let’s face it, if Pacquiao continues to insist that the testing stop 14 days before the fight, it will never happen.
Not in 2010. Not in 2011. Never
I’m just sayin’…
