Floyd Mayweather is pressing forward with the notion of Olympic-style random blood testing in boxing as a means of complimenting the random urinalysis that already is in place in some areas in the sport.
The procedure is part of the contractual agreement between Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) and WBA welterweight (147 pounds) super champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), who will meet on May 1.
Mayweather-Mosley means the USADA's blood testing effort will be used for the first time ever in boxing in general, and by the Nevada Athletic Commission in particular, since the sport has previously only used urinalysis to detect the use of steroids and other illegal drugs.
Mayweather first broached the topic during a proposed bout with WBO welterweight king Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs). The subject -- which Pacquiao opposed -- was at the center of controversy in their failed negotiations, as Mayweather's camp hoped to bring in Travis Tyart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), to oversee the process.
Negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao broke off when the latter filed a lawsuit against Mayweather and his camp members seeking damages for defamation of character. Pacquiao will now face Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) on March 13.
With a few exceptions, Mayweather has mostly taken heat for trying to be bigger than boxing and being scared to fight Pacquiao.
"Maybe he's afraid of me. Or maybe he's not ready for this type of fight," said Paqcuiao, whose promoter, Bob Arum, said he would only have entertained random blood testing if Mayweather had brought his idea directly by petition to the state athletic commission where the fight was being held.
"What I believe is that Floyd Mayweather is not ready at this time to fight with me, or to face me. That's why he makes up some reason to cancel the fight. I feel bad and I feel disappointment because he's accusing me of using drugs and tried to ruin my name in boxing," Pacquiao said.
"I'm disappointed for what he's accusing me of. I really feel bad, but I'm not angry at him, because this is boxing," Pacquiao added. "People know that I'm always praying to God, and it's hard work" that accounts for his punching power.
"That fighter, meaning Mayweather, was totally out of line in making the demands that he was making to the figher [Pacquiao,]" said Arum. "Any of those demands should have been directed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. You can not have independent agencies taking all kinds of testing. It creates all kinds of chaos."
But Victor Conte and Dr. Margaret Goodman believe that Mayweather should be applauded for taking a stand on clearing up the issue of performance enhancing drugs in combat sports.
Check out their responses to four questions about Mayweather and the drug testing controversy below:
VICTOR CONTE: Conte was the founder and president of the now defunct Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in Burlingame, Calif., which came under investigation for providing steroids to athletes in the mid-2000s.
Among those implicated was Shane Mosley, who admitted during leaked grand jury testimony that he used the performance enhancing drugs "the cream" and "the clear" as provided by Conte.
Conte now operates Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC), out of San Carlos, Calif., which he says uses legal nutritional supplements to help athletes. Conte's known clients include boxers such as WBA super middleweight (168 pounds) champion Andre Ward and heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers, and he has committed himself to helping to rid sports of cheaters.
1) Are you among those who believe that Floyd Mayweather should be credited for his stance on pushing the implementation of random drug testing in boxing, whether or not someone says his agenda may have been that he did not want the fight?
Regardless of his motive, Mayweather does deserve credit for placing the issue of random drug testing in boxing on the table for open discussion. He created a much needed debate that I believe can serve as an opportunity for those with a genuine interest in the sport to help create more effective drug testing policies.
It is my opinion that there will never be a foolproof anti-doping program in boxing, but there is an enormous need for significant improvement.
2) Why do you feel that boxing has as a sport, and the fighters have at the core, not generally offered similar support and backing to Floyd Mayweather?
In short, it's just not fair to single out Manny Pacquiao and expect him to be held to a different standard than other fighters. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. I don't mean that what's good for Floyd should be good for Manny.
Boxing doesn't need a different set of drug testing rules to be negotiated for each and every fight. Drug testing in boxing needs to be standardized, and all fighters should be held to the same set of rules as is the case in other professional sports.
Boxing as a whole needs to come out of the Wild Wild West and into a more modern world of sport where random drug testing is finally starting to be accepted.
3) What does it say to you, if anything, that Shane Mosley has stepped up to the plate and responded to Floyd Mayweather's challenge?
For whatever reasons, Mosley has recently seemed willing to do whatever it would take to get a big fight, and he finally did. He hasn't fought in quite a while, and he is not getting any younger, so maybe that's a factor.
However, I do applaud Shane's willingness to take any drug tests requested of him for this fight with Mayweather.
4) Do you believe that boxing will eventually change its stance on steroids and become harsher or not? And if it does, do you believe that Floyd Mayweather will ever get credit for possibly pioneering the notion of improved standards of drug testing?
I do think that the sport of boxing will one day be forced to make significant improvements in its anti-doping policies.
The use of drugs in sport seems to have become a never ending story, and boxing has now become a part of that story.
I see this debate started by Mayweather as an opportunity for those who control boxing to realize their obligation to create a more level playing field for the boxers of the future.
DR. MARGARET GOODMAN: Goodman is a former Nevada State Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board Chairman and Chief Ringside Physician who has a private practice as a neurologist in Las Vegas, Nev.
Goodman worked more than 400 professional bouts as a ringside physician and is an advocate for blood testing in boxing as well as the MMA as a means of policing and improving those sports for the safety of its participants.
1) Are you among those who believe that Floyd Mayweather should be credited for his stance on pushing the implementation of random drug testing in boxing, whether or not someone says his agenda may have been that he did not want the fight?
I am thrilled that Floyd came out with such a strong stance. I have always understood that in order to improve boxing safety, recommendations are only really powerful if they come from other boxers.
2) Why do you feel that boxing has as a sport, and the fighters have at the core, not generally offered similar support and backing to Floyd Mayweather?
People in boxing, both those associated with commissions, athletes, their handlers, networks and promoters, are terrified of change. It is one reason why boxing still has no national commission or unified medical regulations.
It has been my direct experience that those in boxing are often afraid of anything that can restrict a bout from taking place.
Drug testing -- appropriate and thorough testing for performance enhancing drugs -- will take manpower, financial backing, and can result in fight cancellations irrespective of whether or not it is the right thing to do.
3) What does it say to you, if anything, that Shane Mosley has stepped up to the plate and responded to Floyd Mayweather's challenge?
I am thrilled that Shane has stepped up to the challenge. He has a great deal to prove. However, since the details of the testing -- including time frame, substances -- have not been released, I am not yet convinced that the protocol will be sufficient to ensure that both athletes are competing free of PEDs.
4) Do you believe that boxing will eventually change its stance on steroids and become harsher or not? And if it does, do you believe that Floyd Mayweather will ever get credit for possibly pioneering the notion of improved standards of drug testing?
I believe that boxing will eventually be forced to change its stance, or the sport will continue to lose credibility. It needs to happen now. When it does, I really do hope Floyd receives the credit he deserves.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
***
I read about this article " No More Pacquiao vs Mayweather Fight — For Now, at Least " And I have to agree that Manny Pacquiao should be very cautious in picking up fight he has everything to lose and nothing to gain. He wont have any trouble getting a fight match with his ability to attract pay per view and to sell ring side tickets, fighters who want to challenge him must fight him on his terms for a change he adid it before but now he is on the top of boxing he should command respect.
ReplyDelete