Can an athlete become so great at a sport that it’s easier to think that this athlete is a cheater than it is to think that this athlete is just that great? Unfortunately, over the last decade, the sports world has become skeptical over the natural abilities of great athletes and too many people rather assume cheating than accept greatness. And, nobody has been more scrutinized by this way of thinking than Lance Armstrong. Unfortunately, Manny Pacquiao is heading down the same path of vicious judging and scrutiny and is becoming the Lance Armstrong of Boxing.
Magic #7 Both Manny and Lance have risen to the top of their respective sports and they have done so in spectacular fashion. Lance won 7 straight Tour De Frances and Pacquiao has won titles in 7 different weight classes. Both feats are a first for their respective sports. However, it’s this dominance that makes people think that they must be cheating.
Drug Tests Both Lance and Manny, have never failed a drug test. In fact, before Lance retired from cycling, he was tested more than any other athlete in the world some 200+ times. Despite the clean tests for both, people still think they are cheating.
Boxing and Cycling Each sport has played a role in this paranoia. Cycling could possibly be considered the most tainted sport when it comes to cheating. Every year it seems cyclists are being caught taking illegal substances from steroids to blood thinners. This constant catching of cheaters has caused a dark cloud of speculation over the sport to where people automatically start thinking guilty by association. Because Lance is so dominant, and he’s a cyclist, then he must be cheating.
Boxing has recently seen its fair share of scandals too. From fighters admitting to taking steroids to other fighters using illegal wraps. Shane Mosley took steroids but never tested positive. So people think that Pacquiao could be taking stuff too because he’s a boxer, and if one boxer can cheat and get away with it, then so can another.
