Boxing Promoter for Manny Pacquiao speaks out on Drug Test Issue with Floyd Mayweather Jr's Side By Johnny Benz (Dec 23, 2009) Doghouse Boxing
Things are moving at a terribly fast clip for the proposed March 13th HBO Pay-Per-View TV event, Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. If you haven't heard the breaking news, here it is in a quick nutshell. The fight is in Jeopardy because Manny Pacquiao's side is not willing to draw blood for drug testing within 30 days leading up to the fight. Mayweather Jr's side wants and has agreed to rigorous testing for steroids and other illegal performance enhancing drugs which will need numerous blood tests over the coming weeks.
After the news broke of the mega event being in jeopardy over the drug testing stipulations, Steve Kim of MaxBoxing quickly caught up with Top Rank's Bob Arum who represents Pacquiao. Arum tells Kim that they are basically willing to provided numerous urine samples and even a blood test before and after the fight, but not while Pacquiao is in training.
Speaking to MaxBoxing on early Tuesday evening, just shortly after the news broke, Arum told the online publication: "We're willing to do all kinds of urine analysis. We're willing to do blood testing before the last press conference and after the fight." Arum then went on to add what his side, Team Pacquiao is not willing to do: "We're not willing to do blood testing while he’s in training because he claims it weakens him. And one major doctor we talked to says that blood testing is absolutely, totally irrelevant. Totally irrelevant. We're willing to do random urinalysis at any time."
