In almost a complete reversal of roles, it’s now Manny Pacquiao doing most of the talking in the media. Over the last week or so, Manny has publicly commented on various aspects of the negotiations, the fight, and Floyd Mayweather Jr himself. This is a surprising change from the first round of negotiations that saw Manny take a beating from the entire Mayweather clan. Manny’s latest aggressiveness combined with Floyd Mayweather Jr’s suspicious absence, and it appears that Manny is turning up the pressure on Floyd Jr.
14 days
?I already agreed to 14 days and as long as they don?t draw too much blood but only what is needed for the tests. Fourteen days before the fight,? Pacquiao, ABS-CBN
14 days has now become the magical number. Last week Manny Publicly said that he was willing to compromise and accept drug testing up until 14 days out from the fight. Originally, Mayweather Jr made this proposal back in late December. Of course, Manny’s team rejected it and since then, Floyd Jr says he won’t have any cut-off dates and will only have random drug testing up until the day of the fight.
Since that demand, we have all learned how Floyd Jr was last blood tested some 18 days before the day of the fight. This caused such a public frenzy that some are ready to storm the USADA headquarters. Most people are asking ‘why wasn’t there blood tests closer to the fight’. Unfortunately, most of those people are answering their own question by calling all of this one ‘big conspiracy’.
Now there are multiple arguments to this 18 day window. Some say that “random is random”. Other people say that this was all a “money driven venture”. Personally, I think that if there were blood tests closer to the fight then nobody would really be complaining. I’ll say these final words and then we can move onto more of Manny Pacquiao’s pressuring of Floyd Mayweather Jr .
I don’t think it was a ‘big conspiracy’. However, I do think that whomever decided when these fighters should be “randomly” tested really dropped the ball. Everyone involved in this entire Olympic style blood testing knew of the historical significance of this process. In fact, everyone who follows boxing or watches ESPN knew about the importance. Not testing the week of the fight really damaged the USADA, Golden Boy Promotions, and the entire Mayweather clan. For they were the ones who made this entire “drug crusade” a huge ordeal in the media. So, they should have to accept the most responsibility and criticism.
