By now we have all had a chance to digest the recent tirade put forth by Floyd Mayweather Sr. insinuating his belief that Manny Pacquiao is taking some form of illegal substances. Mayweather went on to say that Pacquiao’s people were ‘pushing’ him in the wrong way and that regardless of what substances were in the Filipino’s body, he wouldn’t be able to defeat his son Floyd Jr. because of his lack of boxing knowledge. The news has created quite a stir in the fight game but the follow up to the situation has proven to be just as intriguing.
Looking to get a perspective for a mind that was a little more unbiased, I recently contacted Floyd Sr.’s younger brother Jeff, known to many as the ‘other Mayweather’. A former IBO Jr. Lightweight champion and well respected trainer who helped guide Sultan Ibragimov to the WBO Heavyweight title, Jeff knows the game of boxing like the back of his hand and speaks true intellect when discussing the sport. When asked about his brother’s recent accusations against Pacquiao, Jeff seemed to throw a curveball to this writer’s direction and took the matter to a whole different level.
“To be honest there are a lot of other people who feel Pacquiao is taking something as well,” Jeff says without hesitation. “They are basing this on the fact that no other fighter has been able to rise so many weight classes while getting that ripped and muscular. Typically when you put on weight on your body you are going to get toned, not completely shredded like Pacquiao was when he fought Oscar De La Hoya. People are looking at Pacquiao’s physique and asking how is this possible?”
When I asked Jeff why his brother’s initial accusations against Pacquiao had created such a frenzy, he was quick to point out that some individuals stand out on their namesake alone.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Jeff warns. “My brother isn’t the only one who has said that about Pacquiao. I honestly know of all kinds of people who are saying this. Some say it publicly and some say it behind closed doors but only when my brother says it does it really create so much attention. People just assume he is saying it because of lil’ Floyd potentially fighting Pacquiao and what not but I can assure you he isn’t the only one.”
Over the years several marquee fighters have been linked to illegal substances, such as Shane Mosley, Roy Jones, James Toney, and others. Jeff believes that the cutthroat nature of the sport is part of the reason why some men are willing to do anything that will give them an edge inside of the ring.
“Guys are just willing to do anything to win,” Mayweather continues. “It’s sad really because it has taken away from the sport. Some guys just care more about winning that what their actual image is and how it would affect the sport. It’s just not fair when you have some fighters who go about their work the right way by staying clean and they end up competing against someone who is cheating.”
When turning the attention back to Pacquiao, who fights Miguel Cotto November 14th in a mega showdown, you can hear the honesty come through in Jeff’s voice. He feels that Pacquiao has been through so much in his career that he won’t be unfazed by the recent rumors but perhaps a little angered.
“I don’t think Pacquiao and his team are too nervous about the allegations,” Jeff claims. “The thing is, whether or not Pacquiao is cheating or not, there is no real way to detect it anyways. Guys these days are taking stuff that is much more advanced and untraceable so they are able to get away with it. Pacquiao will still probably be focused but part of him might be a little bit mad because he knows some people might look at him in a different light.”
In closing Jeff comes across like a man speaking freely from his heart as opposed to someone with a bitter agenda. He isn’t out to accuse Pacquiao of any wrongdoing but instead turns his attention to the boxing world itself and the potential that this problem may turn out to be.
“Listen, I can’t tell you what Pacquiao is doing. Only he knows that. I’m not here to accuse the man of anything but all I can say is that numerous people feel he has been taking something illegal these past fights. I do know that there are a lot of fighters in the sport who use substances to get an edge and it’s scary, really. People on the inside know what’s going down and it’s all over in boxing. It’s not about just Pacquiao it’s about the sport of boxing in whole.”
