Any conversation with Floyd Mayweather, even the interview about his upcoming September 17th bout with WBC welterweight champion, Victor Ortiz, inevitably turns to Manny Pacquiao. ?What is going on with these two?? asked my friend, Big Steve while we were having Sunday breakfast at the Porto?s Bakery on Brand Boulevard in Glendale:? Are they ever going to fight?? It is a very complicated question.
U.S. District Court Judge ruled on Thursday, June 31st that Floyd Mayweather must give a deposition in connection with a defamation law suit filed against him by rival, Manny Pacquaio. However, Floyd continues to defy the court order and drum the roll to his own beat.? I am not saying any one is cheating,? said Mayweather, 34:? I just want a level playing field.?
Undefeated in forty one fights Floyd Mayweather, who was last seen in the ring over a year ago dominating Shane Mosley, said he would sign to fight Manny the minute Pacquiao agrees to be subjected to Olympic Style drug testing.? I am not dogging or dodging,? exclaimed Mayweather:? Pacquiao makes a lot of mistakes and you all have seen Floyd Mayweather is a fighter that can adjust and adapt to any style.? It was very obvious in his last fight against Mosley, after getting badly hurt in the second round Floyd adjusted: he stood in the center of the ring and beat Shane to the punch for the remaining ten rounds. Shane Mosley was dominated by Pacquiao one year later.
?After the Pacquiao fight I talked to Shane Mosley on the phone,? continued Mayweather:? Now why don?t you guys meet up with Shane Mosley and ask him what he told me.? Fortunately, we did not have to as Floyd Mayweather proceeded:? Me and Shane talked and he told me the truth. These words were what Shane told me. Floyd if I was you I would make Pacquiao take the test.?
Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz both agreed to be subjected to Olympic style drug testing prior to their September 17th showdown in Las Vegas.?I?m not really concerned about what any other fighter or promoter is doing,? said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather promotions: ?But when it comes to Floyd Mayweather, any fighter that he is fighting is going to be subjected to that. In a wildest way I can?t imagine why anybody would be against more stringent testing when something like that is better for the sport.? Advertisement
Victor Ortiz does not have a problem with Olympic style drug testing. Young champion took offence when Floyd talked about Pacquaio fight, but that is the subject for another story.
?I am willing to be tested whenever,? continued Mayweather:? If USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) is here today they can test me now. I am a clean athlete. I want to show the world that Floyd Mayweather is a clean athlete. Now I?ve read some of your stories before. You al said that Floyd is one of the best fighters. Now I am making a stand in this country. Let?s just show the world that out sport is a clean sport. They say I am a face of boxing.?
As if reading from the same script, Mayweather?s right hand man, Lenard Ellerbe stated:? In major league baseball we have it, football, and basketball. It?s hand to hand combat and when two guys are getting ready to go at it, I think that it should be a level playing field. In boxing, if you have a guy that is standing up and saying that he is the face and wants to be subjected to it then what?s wrong with it? Floyd Mayweather is a clean athlete. He has been a clean athlete from day one and he is proud of that and if he had to test every day of the year he would be willing to do that.?
Thirty four year old super star, ?Money? Mayweather seemed really sincere about working towards cleaning up not only the sport of boxing but the whole world of professional sports. When asked how Nevada State Athletic Commission viewed implementing Olympic Style drug Testing, Floyd replied:? Nevada is one of the best commissions in the world. And my ultimate goal is not just for USADA in the sport of boxing, but USADA in professional sports period, because there is too much cheating going on in sports. And once again if Floyd Mayweather loses, I want the fighter that?s clean to beat me.?
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