By Coach Tim Walker – According to reputable sources (Pacquiao’s official website, mpboxing.com) Manny Pacquiao, WBO welterweight champion, is considering accepting the cutoff request for random Olympic style blood test in order to fight Floyd Mayweather Junior.
A fight between the two superstars was all but done when, at the urging of Mayweather, the two sides could not agree on the test and it’s cutoff date.
Mayweather held out for a 14-day cut-off on the tests, while Pacquiao was not willing to accept the random protocol unless the cutoff was no less than 24-days prior to the fight. Now Pacquiao is willing to meet Mayweather’s number..
“I am willing to help the sport for the future of the sport. I do not want to see anyone cheat or cheat this sport. For that reason I am willing to consider taking blood as close as 14 days prior to the fight, as long as, my opponent does the same, and it is not a lot of blood, just enough to test.”
“I do not want anyone having an unfair advantage where someone may get hurt. I am willing to do my part to help this sport out.”
Pacquiao, in a statement on Philstar.com, “If I hit Mayweather like that (second round against Mosley), I will finish him off.”
I expect that the 14 day cutoff might not be possible now considering that Mosley agreed to the blood test up to the day of the fight. Still, anything is possible in boxing.
Manny Pacquiao promoter, Bob Arum, is refuting the statements concerning his willingness to take the Olympic style blood test. According to an official statement from Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao quotes from yesterday were not genuine. Arum contends that Pacquiao is not willing to do any testing within a 24 day window froma fight date. Further, he refuses to bend from the originally agreed upon 50/50 purse split.
It should be noted that the statements were in fact on Manny Pacquiao’s website though they are not there today. Just wanted to let you know.
Coach Tim Walker is a contributing writer for Eastsideboxing.com and his own personal blog at boxing4life.blogspot.com welcomes comments. To suggest fighters for Monthly Stud and The Project please email tpwalker@hotmail.com. I welcome questions or comments.