“14 Days Is Good” - Pacquiao

Perhaps, if he refuses to accept Manny Pacquiao’s offer to subject themselves to an Olympic-style random blood and urine drug testing with a 14 day cut-off period. According to Manila Bulletin’s Nick Giongco, Pacquiao has already agreed to the drug testing demands of Mayweather provided that the drug testing agency won’t take anymore sample 14 days before the fight. The same number of days Mayweather demanded from Pacquiao when they first negotiated. But after a convincing win over Shane Mosley last May 3, Mayweather has shifted his stance and now requires Pacquiao to accept his terms – random drug testing all the way, no questions and non-negotiable. If Pacquiao does not accept these terms, then no mega-fight.

The question is how come a 14-day cut off period, which was good before, is no longer viable now? Mayweather simply answered that he wanted to clean up the sport. Of course, his point is very well taken, though many boxing pundits believe (writer included) that the intentions of such demands has more underlying tones than the one Mayweather is parading and wanting people to believe.

One has to simply point Floyd “Joy” Mayweather as the one behind this mess, as he casted, no, hurled the first stone by accusing Pacquiao of steroid use. Prior to the accusation, Mayweather Senior has told a Philippine reporter that he would not want his son, Money May, square with Pacquiao in the ring, citing he have his reasons. Eager to jump on the steroid bandwagon is the rest of Mayweather clan with Money going as far as declaring Philippines as the best producer of steroids and Uncle Roger declaring Filipino soldiers are bulletproof because they use an ancient concoction known as the A-Side Meth, whatever it is.

One can simply see that if 14 days were already good for the Mayweather camp when they talked with Pacquiao and his team in early January, then it should be good now, considering that Pacquiao has already relented to such demand.

Although there is no scientific evidence supporting Pacquiao’s claim that draining his blood a couple of days before the fight weakens him, he is very firm in that belief. In an interview with Filipino broadcaster Dong Puno days after the Pacquiao-Morales I, Pacquiao mentioned that the Nevada Athletic State Commission acquired blood sample from him two days before the fight. He was soundly dominated by Erik Morales.

Of course, the boxing community can only speculate and surmise, the fact that there is a gag order being enforced to avoid negotiations in the media. But Pacquiao has made himself clear on the matter – 14 days is acceptable. If Mayweather’s plan is to duck Pacquiao, citing the 10-day differential of their desired blood testing schedule (Pacquiao initially pushed for a 24-day cutoff period), then it may have backfired. It may have worked the first time, but pushing Pacquiao to agree to random drug testing up to fight night would simply cement the notion that Mayweather, former pound for pound king and undefeated in 41 fights, is truly and undeniably scared of that little punching dervish from the Philippines.

Mayweather certainly has the ball in his court.

KR