Floyd Mayweather's representatives sent a press release declaring the Manny Pacquiao fight is "in jeopardy" tonight after Pacquiao refused to comply with a contractual demand that he submit to Olympic-style random drug testing.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, said the fight would not happen March 13 at MGM Grand, unless Pacquiao complies.
"We're insisting this take place," Ellerbe told The Press. "We're refusing to put our guy in there without it."
Mayweather, in a statement, said he thinks it is the fighters' "responsibility" to comply with the demand his management has made.
"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," Mayweather said in the statement. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same.
"It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who has represented Mayweather in the negotiations, said he received notice from Pacquiao's camp Tuesday afternoon that the fighter refused to comply with random drug testing administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
He said he received the notification from Todd duBoef, who has been handling negotiations for Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank Inc.
"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight," Schaefer said in the statement. "Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant."
Ellerbe expressed shock that Pacquiao refused to comply.
The Filipino has been the subject of speculation about whether he has used performance-enhancing drugs since Floyd Mayweather Sr. first broached the issue to The Press in September.
Pacquiao has passed every drug test administered after his fights but others in the boxing community have expressed some doubts since Mayweather Sr.'s initial statements.
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Here is the September video in which Mayweather Sr. accused Pacquiao of being on performance-enhancing drugs:
| Floyd Mayweather Sr.: Manny Pacquiao on supplements, steroids |
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"We've been going back and forth over this," Ellerbe said. "We insisted on this. As a management team, this is something we insisted upon. The fans in the sport deserve a level playing field. The way to ensure that is through the premier anti-doping agency, and the USADA is the premier anti-doping agency. I just can't imagine him refusing to do this.
"We're an at impasse over the failure to agree to Olympic-style, random drug testing. I can't believe Manny Pacquiao would walk away from the biggest fight in the history of the sport. Maybe the information hasn't gotten back to Manny. I'm not accusing, I'm not speculating. I'm just stating facts."
E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
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