Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey spent the past two days in Dallas and New York at news conferences promoting their March 13 fight at Cowboys Stadium. But it's no surprise reporters peppered Pacquiao about the failed negotiations with Floyd Mayweather.
"He didn't want to fight me," Pacquiao told reporters. "I think maybe Mayweather is scared to lose."
Mayweather and Pacquiao couldn't agree to terms on random drug testing. Mayweather wanted Olympic-style random drug and urine testing and eventually proposed a 14-day cutoff before the fight, which Pacquiao rejected.
Mayweather has turned his attention to Shane Mosley for a potential May fight in Las Vegas. His adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, told The Press that random drug testing will be part of all of Mayweather's future fights.
Despite the war of words between the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps, the Filipino star didn't dismiss the chance of talks being revived later this year.
"I'm still hoping the fight will be pushed through, maybe by summer time," he said. "It would be a good fight if it happened."
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, still thinks the megafight is a possibility.
"I think it's going to happen," Roach told reporters. "I think it's likely. Maybe Mayweather is up to doing this to get more press, I don't know.
"Life goes on without Mayweather," Roach added. "I want to beat this guy's ass, believe me, but he won't give us the opportunity. We will fight him any day of the week. But he doesn't make the rules."
Top Rank's Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, still maintains he'll only listen to the Nevada Athletic Commission when it comes to testing stipulations.
"If Mayweather wants to fight Manny, it will have to be under the rules of the commission that governs the fight," Arum said flatly. "You cannot have fighters in this sport imposing regulatory restrictions on other fighters because they damn well please.
"That is chaotic. Nobody in their right mind should allow that to happen, whether it's Mayweather or God knows who else."
E-mail Josh Slagter at jslagter@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JoshSlagter
Source: mlive.com
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