By Matthew Aguilar, El Paso Times
Now that the scheduled March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. officially is kaput, "Pac-Man" has moved on to a meeting with Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium on the same day. You can thank Team Mayweather for that.
"Pretty Boy" Floyd and his advisors, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, managed to execute one of the biggest blunders in boxing history -- throwing $40 million in the toilet over an allegation. They were pompous, arrogant, self-serving and laughably detached from reality, and they severely miscalculated Team Pacquiao's fortitude.
Now they're backpedaling faster than Uncle Floyd against Chavez Ê-- still believing the showdown can be saved. It can't.
Team Floyd: you blew it.
Big time.
Vegas or bust
First, there was the issue of venue. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and the HBO brass were to meet with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in early December about the possibility of staging the fight at the new Cowboys Stadium.
The meeting -- which included a tour of the $1.2 billion dollar facility -- was set. All three parties had agreed to take a look.
Then, the day before they were to arrive in Dallas, Schaefer pulled out -- citing reasons that didn't even make sense. It became apparent that Schaefer's interests were in Las Vegas, and that the fight would happen there, or nowhere.
Despite the fact that staging Pacquiao-Mayweather in Cowboys Stadium would bring unprecedented national and international attention to a sport that sorely needed it -- Schaefer, Mayweather, De La Hoya and the rest of the pugilistic "Three Stooges" didn't care.
So, the MGM Grand in Vegas was chosen as the site.
A flustered Arum vented, but rolled with the punches.
Then, right about the time negotiations appeared to be complete, Schaefer and Mayweather started this drug-testing nonsense.
They insisted specifically on Olympic-style drug testing -- which calls for blood to be drawn randomly in the weeks and days leading up to the fight. Originally, Pacquiao said no to the blood tests. Then he relented, allowing for blood to be drawn two months prior, one month prior and immediately after the fight.
Mayweather -- somehow still taking someone's misguided advice seriously -- said no.
The bottom line is that nothing had been proven. And therefore, if you're proud like Pacquiao -- why should you concede to anything? ÊWhy would you allow an opponent to dictate the terms of the drug test and irresponsibly fling unfounded allegations at you in public?
Pacquiao later filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy claiming defamation.
And, since it was Mayweather's team that demanded the fight be held in Las Vegas, why isn't the well-respected Nevada State Athletic Commission dictating the drug protocol? Why hadn't Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style drug testing in his previous fights in Las Vegas?
Senseless
The biggest question is this: how can Mayweather -- who is reportedly in financial straits after well-documented IRS trouble -- balk at the prospect of $40 million guaranteed?
Pacquiao can earn big money elsewhere because he's exciting and he's the biggest name in the sport. Mayweather needs another big name to be relevant because he's about as thrilling as a test pattern. It's a point his crack advising team has failed to pound home.
Mayweather's not scared. He's just being advised by a comedy troupe. The extent to which Golden Boy has mucked this up is epic.
Let's just hope Mayweather stops taking this sage advice and wises up in time to make the fight a reality one day.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at maguilarnew@yahoo.com
Source: elpasotimes.com
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