Former IBO Super Featherweight Champion and world class trainer Jeff Mayweather, who recently returned from a canceled event in Atlanta last weekend, spoke with 8countnews last night concerning his newest prospect Troy Corbin (5-0, 4KO) whose fight was off when the show died.
Our conversation went to his nephews stand on PED testing, and why at this stage of his career Floyd Mayweather Jr. is putting testing in such a spotlight and condition to facing Manny Pacquiao.
?I have my doubts whether Corbin ever had an opponent when we got on the plane or even if the fight was going to happen. They said that the commission never approved the opponents, that perhaps the opponents were more afraid of my name than Chase?s (Corbin). All I know is, I lose money when I travel and lose more when nothing happens.?
?I don?t know if they just flew us down to Atlanta to keep us interested but they shouldn?t do that knowing there is not going to be an event. They should have given us something for the trouble and having to wait until Monday to fly back. At least I had a good visit with some old friends?
The conversation turned to Floyd, Pacquiao, and Mayweather Jr.?s reasoning behind his stand for testing in negotiations for a bout.
?Manny Pacquiao isn?t the first guy that someone said was on steroids, Roy Jones has been busted for steroids, James Toney was busted, and a ton of other fighters. Only fighters at Floyd?s level, guys like Manny Pacquiao, Ray Leonard, they can change the sport because of their status because they have that much power. Ray Leonard created the 168 lb class, he wanted to fight down the line but he had to fight 168 pound and he also wins down the line the light heavyweight. That goes to show the power that he had at that time to change the sport.?
?No preliminary fighter can go out and say I want this done, he would be a joke but when you are in a position that Floyd is in then people are going to open their eyes and people are going to take notice because he is in a position of power. At the end of the day Floyd has a legacy to protect as well.
When the subject was broached on whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. is asking Manny Pacquiao to do anything in regards to testing that Mayweather is not volunteering to do himself Jeff responded by laying out several good points.
?It?s not like Floyd is asking Manny to do anything that he isn?t going to do. Let?s face it , it?s like this . The first time around with Ariza in May, Ariza says Manny Pacquiao takes whatever I give him, he doesn?t even know what I give him?That would make me a damn fool. I could be married to someone for 20 years and my wife say in a loving way, here honey take this and I?d be a fool not to say what is it, what does it do, what is it for. That?s just common sense. Manny taking something that he don?t know what it is makes him a fool or you?re willing to be to be a scapegoat in case something else happens. The next thing that happens is they say that Manny is afraid of needles, then that gets shot down. If you?re afraid of needles, how did you get all those tattoos, so let?s find something else because nobody is going to buy that??
As a boxer being afraid of needles is something you would need to grin and bear as most states require blood work such as HIV and HEP b-c testing on a periodic basis no matter what your level of competition is and Jeff Mayweather agreed.
