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Mayweather with his back to the ropes, even before the first bell! By Dezzie Lightbulb PhilBoxing.com Wed, 20 Jan 2010  The fallout from the failed Mayweather/Pacquiao negotiations has been heavy and widespread; the bust-up itself may have considerably and irrevocably changed the landscape of the boxing scene. Many are now asking for new drug testing procedures to be implemented. The NSAC has been brought under close scrutiny on the question as to how effective its current system of drug testing actually is. Given the number and diversity of drugs that have recently come on to the market, some apparently specifically designed to beat official tests, calls for change would seem to be justified. The drug testing system in operation today may well have lost far too much ground in the face of huge advances in `designer` pharmaceuticals. In this article I will not enter into this debate, which, loath though I am to admit it, is simply beyond my scientific knowledge. I will only go as far as to say that I feel that this question urgently needs to be addressed, at all costs, the sooner the better, for the good of the sport, and everybody concerned, boxers and fans alike. Yet this is not the only finger pointing at the NSAC. Drugs such as Xylocaine are legal in one, and only one State in the US; Nevada. Such drugs have also been deemed illegal almost everywhere else in the world. Xylocaine, let us remember, is one of the drugs used by dentists to numb teeth and gums. In boxing it is used to numb fragile hands. It allows the user to continue to punch when, without the benefit of the painkiller, hand-pain would have prevented him from doing so. Floyd Mayweather Jr. suffers from brittle hands, and is a known Xylocaine user. Could this be the reason why Golden Boy Promotions` CEO Richard Schaefer suddenly `stood up` Bob Arum on their `date` to visit the Dallas Cowboys Stadium? Might it be that anywhere but Nevada is a no go for Mayweather? If, and when Mayweather vs. Pacquiao comes back onto the negotiating table, do not be surprised to hear that Pacquiao agrees to Olympic style blood testing with a cut-off date as close as 14 days before the fight. When both parties agree, an official announcement will be made. Then at the last minute Pacquiao`s camp will add a stipulation that drugs such as Xylocaine be included on the `illegal` list. If Mayweather can dictate drug testing terms, Pacquiao would be a fool not to do the same thing himself. Now if Mayweather feels he `needs` his Xylocaine so much he cannot fight without it, he will be forced to refuse, and the tables would be completely turned on him in this whole drug testing deal. Mayweather would then find himself facing what Pacquiao is facing today. Can you just imagine the jubilant chorus of “just take the tests, Floyd” that would be sung high and low. If this were a game of chess, that would be check, probably even mate. I quite honestly do not see how Mayweather can get out of that one, or how he could possibly spin it if he does eventually side-step. It would seem that Pacquiao is as fast outside as he is inside the ring. It did not take him long to sign with a sound fighter for his next match. Say what you will about the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight, but it is a bout between two of today`s top five welterweights, and is anything but a foregone conclusion. Clottey has a right to feel hard done by in boxing. From his very questionable disqualification for head butting Baldomir, through the bad luck of injuring both his hands in his fight with Margarito (with or without loaded gloves?), to a split decision in his epic fight with Cotto, things could so easily have been very different for Clottey. While I do feel that Cotto did just about win the Clottey fight, the 116 to 111 scorecard was purely ludicrous. The judge responsible for that card was obviously heavily biased, or in need of a new pair of spectacles. Clottey`s chance to exorcise all the ghosts of his past has arrived. Joshua Clottey is a man on a mission, with loads to prove, and the skills to back that up. He will have learned from his loss to Cotto, and will give every last drop of himself in the biggest fight of his life. I predict that the Pacquiao vs. Clottey will be one to remember, and those who boycott it will end up kicking themselves. Mayweather, on the other hand, seems to be at something of a loss as to who he will fight next. He knows that his choice is of critical importance to both his reputation, and his position in the ongoing feud with Pacquiao. His stated intention of fighting on March 13th in a PPV head-to-head with Pacquiao only piles on even more pressure. With Pacquiao, Clottey, Mosley, and Berto unavailable that night, his choice of top welterweights is limited. If he chooses a top 10 lightweight, or a top twenty light welterweight to fight at 147lbs, such a fight quite frankly does not make the weight. Mayweather could so easily lose the PPV battle. If his next fight is generally perceived as being a `cherry-pick`, Mayweather loses ground in his position to be able to negotiate a shot at Pacquiao`s title. And if that same fight does not happen when he says he wants it to, March 13th, then his credibility is brought into question, and Pacquiao gains ground in the psychological battle between the two. In order to remain credible Mayweather MUST insist on Olympic style blood testing for all his future fights. If he does not, it will be perceived that he has been singling out Pacquiao, and that could entail serious consequences for him with respect to the pending legal suit he is facing from Pacquiao. But what if someone like Shane Mosley also refuses to take the tests, stating similar grounds that led to Pacquiao`s refusal? What if it actually turns out that these tests are simply too much to ask of a boxer while in intensive training? What a vindication that would be for Pacquiao! Could Mayweather`s insistence on these tests cost him every possible fight against the top contenders? Only time will tell. We all know that one of Mayweather`s favourite arms is his trash-talk. Although Pacquiao has not shut him up all together, as his “I want to whip his punk ass” comment bears witness, yet Mayweather has to be very careful of what he says these days. One slip of the tongue could end up costing him dearly in court. From now on he will have to think twice before trash talking Pacquiao. Will this have any effect on his build up to a possible fight? All things considered, it really does seem that Pacquiao has pushed Mayweather back onto the ropes, perhaps even into a corner. Mayweather will have to box brave, fast, and fancy if he wants to get himself out of this one. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dezzie Lightbulb.  |
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