The Devil's Advocate -- Seconds Out

By J.M. Fusco, SecondsOut.com

The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiation debacle is currently the biggest story in boxing. And the biggest snag in the most historically significant fight in years is the issue of drug testing. Mayweather wants the most comprehensive drug testing available. Pacquiao wants a compromised version of that. Staying true to the backward logic that you often find in boxing, most scribes seem to be taking the side of the fighter who is resisting the more comprehensive drug testing.

Are these the same people who bemoan the lost sanctity of sport on my television, while music from “Field of Dreams” delicately plays in the background? All of sudden, the same writers who savaged Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds are against the best drug testing available? What happened?

What appears to be causing this inconsistency is the personalities involved; not necessarily the subject at hand. Boxing is theater. In this play, Pacquiao is the good guy while Mayweather obviously is the bad guy. We like it that way. The press likes it that way.

But it’s more complicated than that because, in this case, the "bad guy," is probably on the right side. After all, it’s Mayweather who wants the best drug testing available. Isn’t that what we claim to want too? Who could possibly be against that? Well, it turns out, a lot of people do.

I asked a friend of mine, a man on Pacquiao’s side in all of this, "Why?" His response, "Who does Mayweather think he is? He’s not the commission. Just get in there and fight!" It seems to him, and most others, an unreasonable demand on Mayweather’s part.

But compared to other demands, is it really so unreasonable? Catchweights, glove size, and ring size are common issues in boxing negotiations. These three things have very tangible effects on the outcome of a boxing match. A smaller glove for a puncher, a bigger ring for a boxer, and a few extra pounds taken off a bigger fighter can alter competition in the ring in dramatic ways.

Random drug testing, if both fighters are clean, alters nothing. Olympic runners don’t lose races because they were tested four days before a race. They lose races, because they weren’t as fast as the competition.

So what’s the problem?

Superstition. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t like to give blood too close to a fight. His reason: it "weakens" him. You can tell him scientific facts, like it only takes a single night’s sleep to regenerate two test tubes worth of blood. But superstition is the opposite of science, so that doesn’t matter to him.

This, of course, begs the question, “Does superstition trump progress? Is a man’s superstition a valid excuse?”

Well, let’s change the man and the scenario. What if it’s 2002 and Barry Bonds said he wouldn’t take a random drug test because of superstition? Can you imagine the outrage from the press, had that happened?

Whether Pacquiao is more or less suspicious than Bonds is insignificant. Mayweather’s true motives, whether they’re gamesmanship or a righteous endeavor, are just as insignificant. WADA testing is far superior to that currently employed by any boxing commission. Is there any logical reason why Olympic ice curlers have stricter drug testing than athletes who punch each other in the head? Implementing the strictest drug testing possible would be progress for boxing. We should be fighting for it.

Most aren’t, though. Two weeks ago, I watched Larry Merchant demand, during the Mayweather-Mosley post-fight interview that Mayweather "compromise." That struck me as counterproductive. Instead of asking Mayweather to do less by compromising, Larry should have demanded that Floyd do more. Hold Floyd to the same standards he would hold Manny to. "Will these tests look for xylocaine?" he should ask. And follow up if Mayweather gives an evasive answer.

We can’t criticize the lack of sanctity in sport if we don’t push for things that will help preserve it when an opportunity comes along.

When the negotiations reboot and Team Mayweather reiterates its demand for WADA random testing, the only response from Team Pacquiao should be, "Will WADA test Mayweather for xylocaine? They will? Okay, then we’re in." That’s it.

Not only should it be that simple, but that’s what we should be demanding as fans. More, not less. No more xylocaine ambiguity from Mayweather. No more Pacquiao weirdness, wanting 24 days off a leash to possibly do whatever. Just two guys, shutting up the doubters on the other side and being as clean as possible, by 2010 standards.

Then theater will be back in full effect. Pacquiao will be playing the modest man of faith: the good guy. Mayweather will be playing the always-cocky version of himself: the bad guy. We can sit back, enjoy the simplicity of it all again, take sides, and relish the fact that the two best in our favorite sport are at the top of their game, PED free, and about to show us, definitively, who is the best.

Then boxing can look at every other sport, and ask, “Can you say the same?”

Source: secondsout.com

Manny Pacquiao drops other shoe on Floyd Mayweather, it's a combat boot -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

Manny Pacquiao just dropped the other shoe...and it turned out to be a combat boot.

A combat boot which he has aimed squarely at the posterior of his next fight target, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

To put it another way, Pacquiao has given Mayweather the needle.

(Music suddenly playing in the mind of Mayweather and his legion of Flomenters across the globe can only be "You Dropped A Bomb On Me," as sung by The Gap Band.)

Now, the Congressmanny from the wretchedly poor province of Sarangani says, taking a thimble size amount of blood from one of his arms is no big deal.

Pacman, who was shooting a TV commercial in Manila (Ginebra), spoke to Manila Bulletin fight scribe Nick Giongco and what he told the G Man is reverberating throughout the boxing world.

Instead of seeking a halfway, in between 24 days before and 14 random blood testing date, Pacquiao has trumped the Mayweather camp demands by signing off on the fortnight, meaning two weeks before the bout, date.

Immediate reaction from the Golden Boys and the rest of the Mayweather team?

Well, the silence is deafening. Pacquiao has cleverly trumped his foes in a brilliant gambit which brings even those who believed or harbored suspicions of his being a drug cheater over to his side.

Anyone who felt Pacquiao was, as rapper Chamillionaire puts it, "riding dirty" just got a screaming wakeup call.

Now the Pinoy Idol comes off as shiny and antiseptic as Mister Clean and puts Team Mayweather on the defensive simultaneously.

This is from Giongco's dispatch:

“As long as they’re not getting a large amount of blood, I am willing to give out blood as close to two weeks before the fight,” Pacquiao told the Bulletin late Wednesday night during a lull in shooting a Ginebra commercial in Makati.

Pacquiao said he will not hesitate to be tested provided that the amount to be taken would be minimal, noted the 31-year-old fighter, gesturing with his pointer and index fingers a measurement equivalent to a short syringe.

Pacquiao narrated the incident during the first fight with Erik Morales in March 2005 when a large amount was taken from him on the eve of the fight that he eventually lost by unanimous decision.

“I felt very weak after they got the blood,” said Pacquiao.

On the other side of the world, meaning New York, I enjoedy a hastily arranged dinner with brothers from the Fistic Fraternity.

I dined with crackerjack journo Mike Woods (Sweetscience.com), Hall Of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward and the Double Trouble Teenaged Twins, precocious 16 year olds Jared and Jeff Bonas.

The Kronk Godfather is going to unleash the two middleweights, take them professional, as soon as they turn 17 which one does 14 minutes before the other. Don't ask me which is which as I told you they are twins and I'm still sorthing them out.

'The brothers fight in a pro style already," the newly hired trainer of former Pacman foe Miguel Cotto said. "No sense of them hanging around fighting for trophies and badges."

After dinner, strolling back to Steward's hotel, we bumped into former heavyweight contender Renaldo "Mister" Snipes.

There will be no charity dinners held for the Yonkers bruiser who nearly decapitated champ Larry Holmes. Snipes moves with and schmoozes with some business world high rollers.

Snipes thinks Mayweather is too much for Pacman, a notion I vainly tried to disabuse the thoughtful ex-fighter of.

But, then again, at the time we were unaware that willing warrior Pacquiao had dropped the other shoe...

That shoe that turns out to be a heavy-soled combat boot.

Your name doesn't have to be Ben Dover to figure that much out.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

The Ball Is Back In Mayweather's Court; Manny Says OK To 14 Day Window -- The Sweet Science

By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science

Never before has boxing had so much in common. Hurdles, here, there and everywhere...

The main hurdle to making the November 13 Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather has seemingly been traversed, as the Congressman from Sarangani province said, hard and fast, that he is open to undergoing random drug and urine testing 14 days before the fight.

This is according to the Manilla Bulletin, which quoted Pacquaio as saying, “As long as they’re not getting a large amount of blood, I am willing to give out blood as close to two weeks before the fight.”

TSS you'll notice has chosen to use the word "seemingly," since it'll be up to Team Mayweather, led by Al Haymon and Floyd Mayweather, with Richard Schaefer acting as emissary, along with Leonard Ellerbe, during negotiations with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, to sign on the testing protocol. In the previous stage of negotiations, held in December and January, Team Mayweather was holding to the stance that they want Pacquiao to be amenable to a blood test as close to two days before any bout. Pacquiao had countered that he feels excessively weakened when blood is taken from him. He said he felt drained when a large quantity was taken for testing before his March 2005 clash with Erik Morales, a UD12 loss. Was the weakness in his head? Or is it a matter of superstition? That explanation for the 2005 loss didn't loom large five years ago, and only truly emerged as an issue during the first failed rounds of talks. Pacquiao fans embrace, by and large, his stance on blood loss, while doubters see his fear of blood loss as a masking agent for another motivation to refuse bloodwork too close to a fight. The blood matter can only be asked and answered by Manny and seems destined to be one of those unanswerable deals, where backers and doubters can find no common ground.

Right before the last negotiations dissolved, Team Mayweather said they'd be OK with a drug test 14 days before the fight. Crucially, the Mayweather crew said, the test did not have to be a blood test. Pacquiao wanted to shut the testing window at 24 days out from the tussle. Ten days difference in testing dates seemingly were THE reason why a $100 million clash wasn't going down. Those were the terms in early January; have the goalposts been moved since then? Hard to tell, since this round of dealmaking has been held outside the glare of us keyboard tappers. Top Rank reps were in New York on Wednesday, TR reps said they were not at liberty to disclose the location of Top Rank chief Bob Arum. Might he be holed up somewhere with Schaefer, finalizing terms for a Nov. 13 mega-clash? One could easily surmise that...

Source: thesweetscience.com

Pacquiao mellows, OKs drug test vs. Mayweather -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

Here’s a piece of good news to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

As part of efforts to agree on a November 13 fight, Manny Pacquiao said he is amenable to undergo random drug and urine testing 14 days before the fight.

“As long as they’re not getting a large amount of blood, I am willing to give out blood as close to two weeks before the fight,” Pacquiao told the Bulletin late Wednesday night during a lull in shooting a Ginebra commercial in Makati.

Pacquiao said he will not hesitate to be tested provided that the amount to be taken would be minimal, noted the 31-year-old fighter, gesturing with his pointer and index fingers a measurement equivalent to a short syringe.

Pacquiao and Mayweather had agreed in principle to face off but a last-minute demand by Mayweather for Olympic-style testing did not augur well with Pacquiao’s handlers, saying they would not be bullied into accepting his seemingly-outlandish terms.

Pacquiao narrated the incident during the first fight with Erik Morales in March 2005 when a large amount was taken from him on the eve of the fight that he eventually lost by unanimous decision.

“I felt very weak after they got the blood,” said Pacquiao, motioning with his fingers once again the size of the syringe that was used in extracting blood from his arm.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao, has his schedule all figured out: Congress in the daytime and gym in the afternoon.

Pacquiao said he can handle the role of being fighter and lawmaker and that “time management” is the key to getting things done.

“I will attend sessions in the morning until afternoon then I go to the gym around 4 or 5 p.m.,” said Pacquiao, who will take his oath as congressman of Sarangani on June 30.

“I will stay in the country during training camp then with two weeks before the fight, I will fly to the US,” said Pacquiao, stressing that during his absence, his staff will assume his countless responsibilities.

As in previous training camps, there would still be the usual early-morning roadwork then gym work in the afternoon, according to the reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight king.

“Nothing’s going to change as far as my training is concerned even though I am now a congressman because I will carefully map out my schedule. I will still wake up early becauseI have to run in the morning.”

The past few days, Pacquiao has been busy consulting with his political advisers so he can easily adjust to his new role by July.

Next month, Pacquiao will leave for New York to personally receive the Fighter of the Year award – his third – that will be given out by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Source: mb.com.ph

Fear of Needles or the Truth: Will Floyd Mayweather JR get his Gloves on Manny Pacquiao? -- Ringside Report

By Michael Angelo Serra, Ringside Report

Is it bad blood or just a blood feud?

Floyd Mayweather, JR., did what he doe’s best, souring Sugar Shane Mosley or should that be caning Sugar!

It was just past midnight in Essex, England, and a storm was brewing, thunder, lightning and torrential rain hit’s the road just outside my house here in Colchester, England.

Mayweather I felt, pre fight, was in for some stormy weather.

I just felt that Shane was going to win, but I couldn’t have been more wrong as Floyd outclassed Mosley and shows that there may be no real challenge left for him.

Do we need to see Floyd continue to outclass foe after foe?

Of course not, mismatches prove nothing…well there is as you all know one challenge that has to happen, and that challenge is: Manny “The PacMan” Pacquiao.

Since there proposed match fell through, I wonder why this fight is still at the stumbling block?

It’s a fight that is realistically the only challenge that Floyd has left as let’s face it “Pretty Boy” just keeps getting prettier.

Pacquiao however wouldn’t take a simple blood test, prompting the cancellation of there mega fight. Why won’t Pacman take a simple blood test?

There are many theories and rumors floating around, but hey there’s a lot of cash floating around too along with many clouds of doubt, and what do clouds supposedly have?

Silver linings.

Then again both protagonists will want to line there’s with plenty of gold as opposed to silver, there pockets that is.

Mayweather, post fight, stated that he won’t fight unless the Filipino takes a jab of another kind. Either way, you could say there’s bound to be some needle leading up to this much mooted match up!

If it ever happens.

In short, this fight has to happen.

It’s not just because of it being the biggest fight out there, but because of the state of the game. It was reported that Mayweather, when he fought Oscar De La Hoya, that it was going to be the fight to save boxing!

Did it?

Well, it did and it didn’t. Let me explain.

I had Oscar the winner by a round or two and felt the decision in favor of Floyd was a bad one, so though it was a good fight it left a bad taste in my mouth due to the scorecards.

This fight is more so the savior of boxing.

It’s the classic boxer vs. brawler match up, and in many respects a match up that reminds me very much of Sugar Ray Leonard against Roberto Duran. Both were great fights despite the third meeting a rubber match. That is best erased from the memory!

Pun intended.

So come on Manny show us you’re the man!

After all, you should take the jab for the blood test as you’ll need plenty of practice taking jabs come fight night, so come on and fight Floyd and get the fight the whole wide World wants to see happen.

Let’s hope PacMan holds true to form like his video game character and leaves that all important remaining dot…well just a dot of blood and gives boxing not only some blood, but plenty of sweat and tears in what could be the fight of the year.

It’s the biggest fight in history. It’s now up to the fighters to make it happen.
Source: ringsidereport.com

There Certainly Wasn't Any Floyd Mayweather In Muhammad Ali -- The Sweet Science

By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science

One of the reasons Muhammad Ali is the real heavyweight GOAT--greatest of all time--was because he was willing to fight the biggest and the baddest heavyweights circa 1960-81. As a green fighter on the way up or an aging champ on the way down, it didn't matter, Ali constantly sought to face whoever was thought to be the fighter who represented his biggest threat. He also never ran from a tough opponent in trying to get out of a rematch. Just examine his record.

After a 43-month forced exile Ali fought top five contenders Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena in a span of six weeks during 1970. On December 30th, three weeks after a tough 15-rounds with Bonavena, Ali signed to meet undefeated heavyweight champ "Smokin" Joe Frazier on March 8th 1971. Ali lost conclusively to Frazier that night and Sports Illustrated plastered the picture of Joe knocking him down in the 15th round with the caption "End Of The Ali Legend" on its cover, dated March 15th 1971. Frazier said after the fight that he doubted Ali would want a rematch after the beating he took during their bout. When that was relayed to Ali, he responded, "Oh, how wrong he is!" And those words sum up Muhammad Ali's confidence and courage.

When Ali couldn't get a rematch with Frazier immediately after their first fight, he set out to fight every top contender in the division, trying to eliminate the field so Frazier would have no one left to fight but him. Twenty-one months after winning the "Fight Of The Century," Frazier was demolished by George Foreman in two rounds and lost his undisputed title. Two months later Ali lost a split decision to Ken Norton. Later the same year (1973) Ali won a decision over Norton in a rematch and then four months later won a decision over Frazier to even their series at 1-1. Two months after Ali beat Frazier, Foreman crushed the other Ali conquerer, Ken Norton, in two rounds.

After Foreman beat Norton, the path was clear for Ali to try and reclaim the title he was stripped of seven years earlier. Only he'd have to do it against a fighter who mutilated the only two opponents that Ali had to fight twice (at that time) before he could claim a victory over either one of them. In twenty-seven rounds with Frazier, Ali was only able to hurt Joe twice, once in each fight. On the other hand, Frazier lasted just two minutes with Foreman before going down three times in the final minute of the first round, and then three more times in the first minute and a half of the second. When comparing how Ali and Foreman fared versus Norton, the gap was just as pronounced. Ali hurt Norton twice during their rematch and in twenty-four rounds forced him back three or four times but never put him down or was close to stopping him. Yet, Foreman needed just five minutes to knock Norton all over the ring enroute to stopping him in two short rounds.

No fighter in history ever looked more unbeatable and like a human wrecking machine at any weight than did former heavyweight champ George Foreman circa 1973-74. Foreman was 40-0 (37) and was just 25-years old. At the time both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis said on The Wide World of Sports that Foreman was the most devastating and hardest puncher in boxing history. At that time Ali was months away from turning 33 and was thought to have no legs - as evidenced by him only dancing and fighting on his toes for the first four rounds of the Frazier rematch and the first five of the Norton rematch.

If ever there was a fighter who could've demanded some kind of test for HGH or steroids or anything else before a fight, it was Ali before he fought Foreman. Muhammad could've easily said how come 2-3 years ago light heavyweight Gregorio Peralta could last ten rounds with Foreman twice, but Frazier and Norton couldn't make it out of the second against him? But we never heard that kind of talk from Ali. In fact, if the thought even existed that Foreman was on some type of HGH or PEDs, Ali would've said something like - "good, I hope he's on them the night I fight him because I'm still gonna whip his behind." And then he would've demanded Foreman take or inject whatever he thought he needed to make himself feel invincible and unbeatable.

As of this writing the biggest welterweight fight since De La Hoya-Trinidad is in limbo because Floyd Mayweather can't grasp Manny Pacquiao's ascension as a fighter. Pound for pound Pacquiao doesn't look anywhere near as dangerous at 147 as did Foreman look as a heavyweight. And remember both Ali and Mayweather are virtually the same age going into the negotiations for the bout.

The only evidence that Pacquiao has ever used PEDs are Mayweather's insecurity and accusations. And that's enough to make Floyd think he needs to control the terms of the fight to once again have an edge before it starts. Mayweather is no doubt a great fighter, but his resume has too many holes in it to be compared to the greatest of the greats at 135 and 147. However, if he went on to fight and beat a prime Pacquiao in a straight up fight without trying to mickey the terms of it, we could say he did beat one great fighter who, though he was smaller, was still at the top of his game.

Mayweather has looked really muscled up in his last two bouts. Being bigger than Marquez is one thing, but he looked like Mosley's father when they were in the ring earlier this month. Luckily there was no Floyd Mayweather in Muhammad Ali - or we would've never seen Foreman-Ali in 1974, a fight that Muhammad actually fought in a small 17 foot ring (the reason the ropes were loose), which everyone reading this knows was advantage Foreman. Can anyone fathom Ali making demands (testing for PEDs or anything else) on a smaller opponent before they fought because he looked too good in his last three or four fights?

Mayweather-Pacquiao or Pacquiao-Mayweather has to happen. And if it does within the next 12-months, as of this writing I'd favor Mayweather because he looks too big and physically strong for Manny, something that was confirmed even more so after observing Mayweather's physicality during his last bout against Shane Mosley.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

Source: thesweetscience.com

Don't beat up Yahoo on the rankings and a Don King sighting -- Examiner

By Matt Stolow, Examiner.com

It was typical classy of Yahoo boxing reporter Kevin Iole to give his take on things after being severely criticized by Manny Pacquiao followers for Pacquiao's drop from No. 1 to No. 2 after Floyd Mayweather easily beat Shane Mosley.

I don't know that Iole's column today went deep enough though, which I will explain, and the letters he received were not necessarily representative of all Pacquiao fans - again I will explain. Iole's column was a good start though.

Pacquiao became No. 1 by attrition. Mayweather retired and took off 21 months. Pacquiao absolutely was a great No. 1. He has done nothing to lose the designation of No. 1.

I'm assuming it were the same voters, or very little turnover, of voters between the time Pacquiao became No. 1 and when Mayweather overwhelmed him in the voting from his win over Mosley.

My point is while Iole fielded a lot of mail from Pacquiao fans, it wasn't representative of all his fans and general boxing fans who thought that Pacquiao shouldn't lose his top spot based upon Mayweather beating a 38-year-old Mosley.

Most of the letters or emails, were emotional fans and knee-jerk reactions.

Nobody likes change in anything and Pacquiao has come to represent an entire nation and in fact Asia itself. He is the national sports franchise while Floyd Mayweather has to fight it out in America for sloppy seconds of sports reporting with golf and tennis, well behind the mainstream sports of football, baseball, basketball and even ice hockey, not to mention this is a World Cup year in soccer.

Iole makes the point Pacquiao fans weren't complaining that the Yahoo poll wasn't representative during the time he was No. 1 and that's a difficult point to get around.

Maybe now, in the down time while a possible fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather is on the horizon, that Yahoo considers making their balloting more representative of Asian fighters by having more Asian representatives voting if necessary, but also it needs to explain better, as it has attracted an international interest, that this isn't scientific in the first place.

The voting is just a place for fans and media to congregate and hope big fights get made by making the boxing world a smaller place and a place to debate fairly and have some fun.

On a side note:

Don King gets a mention here: On Saturday afternoon, the banks closed, a judge in Florida gave 78-year-old King two hours to raise a $1 million in cash so as to force an injunction on an event later that evening. With time to spare King returns with two duffle bags packed with the money. Name one other promoter or anyone else that could do that!

Source: examiner.com