A look back at the Pac-May negociations

Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spo...tiate-manny-pacquiao-fight-with-top-rank.html

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will negotiate Manny Pacquiao fight with Top Rank

November 19, 2009 |
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Floyd Mayweather Jr., taking an important step to help create an anticipated super-fight against Manny Pacquiao next year, will open dialogue with Top Rank promotions, Mayweather's lead advisor told The Times on Thursday night.

"Team Mayweather/Mayweather Promotions have been discussing our options and when we're finished, we'll let (co-promoter) Richard SchaeferLeonard Ellerbe, told The Times in a telephone interview. express our position to Top Rank," Mayweather's advisor,

That marks a thawing in what has been an extremely icy relationship between Mayweather and Bob Arum, Top Rank's chairman. Mayweather left Top Rank a few years ago after feeling long overshadowed by the promoter's former star attraction, Oscar De La Hoya.

Mayweather (40-0) proceeded to help generate the richest event in boxing history ($155 million) vs. De La Hoya in 2007, then drew more than 1.9 million buys against Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.
"It's no secret the camps don't see eye to eye, but this is bigger than boxing," Ellerbe said. "We understand the magnitude of this."

Ellerbe declined to discuss what kind of purse split Mayweather is seeking. "But it's no secret who's the biggest star and draw in boxing," he said.
On Friday, HBO is prepared to announce that Pacquiao's 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto generated more pay-per-view buys than Mayweather-Marquez or any other live event this year. Ellerbe notes that Mayweather sold more PPVs in common fights against Hatton, De La Hoya and Marquez.

"The numbers don't lie, people do," Ellerbe said. "(Pacquiao) had good numbers, God bless him, but he had a dance partner this time."
Ellerbe said he'll instruct Schaefer to negotiate with Arum "as soon as possible," but noted, "If the fight can't be made, we'll fight Shane Mosley if he can get past (Andre) Berto (on Jan. 30)."

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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

Novermbert 21, 2009

http://www.***********.com/?m=show&id=23621

MAYWEATHER - PAQUIAO FOR MAY 1: HEAVY TALKS START

janeschicken · Aug 21, 2010

Do we really need to go down this road again?

Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/12/2/1181923/mayweather-agrees-to-pacquaio-fightMayweather Agrees to Pacquiao Fight

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by Brickhaus on Dec 2, 2009 1:52 AM EST in News Analysis
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Mayweather has reportedly agreed to terms to fight Manny Pacquiao. Will Pacman follow suit?

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According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, multiple sources close to the negotiations between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are reporting that Floyd has agreed to terms for a Pacquiao superfight. At this point, Pacquiao has yet to agree to the terms, but Bob Arum is traveling to the Philippines to seal the deal. According to the sources, the fight would be contested at the 147 pound welterweight limit. No word on any of the other negotiating concerns - the split, ring size or gloves.

The date is still up in the air. Per Rafael, sources close to Floyd have stated that he is okay with either a mid-March date or an early May date. From a marketing perspective, May 1 probably works better for everyone; however, since Manny Pacquiao is running for Congress, Philippines election law would prohibit his fight from being aired in the Philippines in May unless he runs unopposed. This hurdle seems to make a March 13 date much more likely, unless Pacquiao decides to abandon his political aspirations until the next election. According to Yahoo's Kevin Iole, a March 13 date is all but set.

The location is also unknown. The lead contenders, which have been broken down by Scott and myself, are the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a temporary stadium built by the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, or at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, with the New Orleans Superdome serving as another stalking horse.

Obviously, this would be one of the biggest fights in recent memory. It's rare that the two biggest stars in the sport are in the same weight class, and it's even more rare that they're both in their prime and the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Now it's incumbent on Pacquiao to make it happen.

El Intocable · Aug 21, 2010

Everyone that suffers from battered woman sindrome is welcome in this thread and bring your excuses with you...meanwhile in real life fraud is on vacation with his life partner lenny and is not interested in boxing and Pacquiao,when asked about why he is on vacation instead of preparing himself for a fight with Pac,fraud answered with "Quack".

Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/12/3/1183494/pacquiao-wants-60-40-split-to

Pacquiao wants 60-40 split to fight Mayweather

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by SC on Dec 3, 2009 1:06 AM EST in News Analysis
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. might do a spit-take when he hears that Manny Pacquiao wants a 60-40 split for a 2010 fight.

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Speaking with Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, trainer extraordinaire Freddie Roach says that Manny Pacquiao wants a 60-40 split in his favor to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. as talks continue and a fight seemingly draws closer to being made official.

Roach, in a telephone conversation from England, said, "Manny believes he should get a 60-40 [purse] split too, because he did better in pay-per-view than Mayweather this year. Manny's the bigger draw."

Roach is referring to the 1.25 million pay-per-view buys for Pacquiao's 12th-round technical knockout of Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14, compared to the 1 million buys for Mayweather's fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in September. Yet Mayweather's December 2007 bout against Ricky Hatton generated more pay-per-view sales than Pacquiao-Hatton in May.

Overall, Manny sold about two million PPVs this year between fights with Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton. Had Mayweather fought twice, I have no reason to believe he wouldn't have cracked a million both times. His fight with Juan Manuel Marquez stunned the boxing and sports worlds with its incredible PPV performance, and I think any opponent of equal or greater stature would have done another million with Floyd, too.

Nobody's getting 60-40 for this fight, and everyone knows it. It's not going to be 60-40 Pacquiao, and it's not going to be 60-40 for Mayweather. And it won't be one of those things that people always want, the "true prize fight" where they agree to 40-40 or whatever up front and the winner gets the remainder.

It's going to be around 50-50, maybe something like 52-48, and if it goes over 50-50, it'll be Mayweather getting the slightly larger portion, or the fight won't happen. Floyd's not going to take a lesser slice of the pie for this fight, because whether or not it's truly relevant in this situation, he drastically outdrew Pacquiao with common opponents Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez. All of those fights were before Manny Pacquiao became Manny Pacquaio, the guy whose name gets dropped in the middle of football highlights on SportsCenter, but from a negotiating standpoint, I figure that's going to be something Floyd and his guys stick to in a major way.

The LA Times article doesn't mention anything about the earlier report from the Philippines that Pacquiao won't fight until September, so there's no further word on that right now. We're still in the table tennis stages of negotiations for this fight. Back and forth they'll go, and eventually Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer will work it out and we'll have an amazing event on our hands. Honestly, it's gone much smoother thus far than I think anyone expected.

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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4712939

MANILA, Philippines -- Manny Pacquiao likely will fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on March 13 after agreeing to a proposal from promoter Bob Arum on Friday.
Arum presented "what he thought was the best proposal he can bring" during a two-hour breakfast meeting with Pacquiao in Manila, said Michael Koncz, an adviser of the Philippine boxing idol.
"Manny has some additional requirements, requests, which Arum didn't think was a problem," Koncz said. "The requests of Manny were so realistic that Arum doesn't feel it's a problem and it's pretty much a done deal."

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Pacquiao

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Mayweather
He said the contract still needs "fine-tuning," declining to elaborate.
"We all believe that it will be done," Koncz said.
In an interview with GMA television, Pacquiao said, "March 13 is OK."
"The difference between Floyd and others I have fought is that Floyd makes a lot of trash talk that should not be imitated by young people," he said.
Arum could not be reached for comment.
If the deal is completed, the bout would be contested at 147 pounds for the welterweight title, a source told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
Koncz, who is in charge of Pacquiao's boxing promotion company in Nevada, said Pacquiao is "very comfortable" with the date.
Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in May 2010 elections and official campaigning won't start before April.
If the bout goes ahead, it will match two men regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighters.
Boxing fans have been looking forward to a superfight between Pacquiao and the undefeated Mayweather after the Filipino champion defeated Miguel Cotto last month.
The March 13 date comes four months after the Cotto fight -- a shorter period of time than the six months after Pacquiao defeated Ricky Hatton. But Koncz said it will be enough time for Pacquiao to get back in shape.
"Nobody knows his body better than Manny," he said. "If Manny feels that that's plenty of time to rest and recover, then you know, he has to do what he feels is right."
He said Pacquiao "cannot train for more than seven weeks."
If the fight is agreed upon, there likely would be a Jan. 11 news conference in New York to announce it. The bout could be the richest ever, assuming pay-per-view projections are accurate.
Representatives of the Superdome in New Orleans and the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas have expressed interest in hosting the fight, as has the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, where the fighters have had their biggest fights. There is also a proposal for a 30,000-seat temporary stadium on the Las Vegas Strip across from the Wynn resort.
Oddsmakers are already taking bets on the fight, with most making Mayweather a slight favorite.

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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/12/5/1186877/pacquiao-and-mayweather-agree-on

Pacquiao and Mayweather agree on 50-50 split

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by SC on Dec 5, 2009 12:37 PM EST in News Analysis
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Every time I say it, I feel like I should knock on wood, but this fight is a go for March 13. Make no mistake about it, this is going to happen in just a few months. Dan Rafael says that the two sides agreed to a 50-50 split, among other things. Here's the rundown:

The camps agreed to a 50-50 split of the money, which could be gargantuan. Many experts expect the fight to eclipse the all-time pay-per-view record for sales, which is the 2.44 million buys generated by Mayweather's 2007 victory against Oscar De La Hoya.
Both fighters will wear 8-ounce gloves but each fighter will be allowed to select the brand of gloves he will wear for the fight.
For promotional purposes, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao, but Top Rank will receive first billing over Golden Boy throughout the promotion.
However, instead of a full-scale media tour, there will only be a single press conference in New York during the second week of January. With the schedule compressed because of the March 13 date for the fight, rather than May 1, which the promoters and HBO PPV preferred, it didn't leave time for a lengthy media tour.
The fight is going to take place March 13 because Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in the Philippines and the elections are in May, which would have been a conflict between his training and the campaign.

Well that was simple, wasn't it?
There's really nothing I can say that hasn't been said already. This is as big as it gets. This is as important as it gets. This is a fight people will talk about in 50 years. This is one for the time capsule.

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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/12/9/1192775/mayweather-and-pacquiao-khan-and

Mayweather and Pacquiao, Khan and Judah

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by SC on Dec 9, 2009 8:32 AM EST in News Analysis
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Zab Judah could be a perfect sparring partner to prepare Floyd Mayweather Jr. for Manny Pacquiao.

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As we seem to be rapidly approaching an announcement that will make a March 13 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao an official reality, both men are potentially lining up some great sparring, and some of it could result in a really intriguing fight to boot.

There have been some mild rumblings that former Mayweather opponent Zab Judah may help Mayweather in training -- if the price is right. Judah, for all his flaws and faults and annoyances, is a very proud guy and still sees himself as a top fighter, and not a sparring partner. But his on-again, off-again friendship with Mayweather and his excellent style comparison would make him a wonderful sparring partner for Floyd.

And then there's Amir Khan, who will apparently be the chief sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao in the upcoming training camp in Baguio City. Khan just blew past Dmitriy Salita in 76 seconds on December 5, and with his speed, is about as good as a sparring partner could get for Pacquiao outside of Shane Mosley, who obviously is busy.

Although on that last point, Freddie Roach is now saying they'll try to get Andre Berto (Mosley's Jan. 30 opponent) in for some sparring if possible. If Berto loses to Mosley, it's unlikely he'd want to get back into sparring with a guy like Pacquiao that quickly (if he wanted to at all), and if he wins, frankly he might be in line to fight the Pacquiao-Mayweather winner later in 2010, so that'd probably shut that down, too.

There's also talk of Khan fighting Judah, which could be a magnificent undercard bout with plenty of story behind it on the March 13 PPV. For now take it with a 140-pound grain of salt, because Judah is constantly looking here, there and everywhere for someone to fight. He's called out Juan Urango, Berto and Khan in recent months, among others, and all he did in 2009 was sit around, duck Matthew Hatton, and fight a bum who hadn't fought in years on a tiny PPV.

Khan-Judah is a compelling matchup even without the potential backdrop that both served as main sparring partners for Mayweather and Pacquiao, because Khan, while impressive when he wins, still has never beaten anyone as good as Judah can be when Judah feels like being that guy. Khan is among the fastest guys in the sport, but so is Judah, even aged. And Judah has years of experience and has fought guys like Mayweather that can at least meet Khan's speed.

Also for Khan and promoter Frank Warren, this situation would be one you could not pass up. They want to get him introduced to American audiences. What better way than to stick him on the show that might potentially break all the records? Khan-Judah would wind up being an impressive performance for the winner no matter who it was, just because that's how it would seem it has to play out. Someone's speed is overwhelming the other guy at some point, and good action is bound to come out before then. It's a potentially explosive matchup.

I wouldn't expect any of this to happen besides Khan sparring with Pacquiao, because Khan has done that for a while now. But doesn't it just sound like a lot of fun?

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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/12/13/pacquiao-would-welcome-random-drug-test/

Manny Pacquiao Would Welcome Random Drug Test
12/13/2009 4:09 AM ET By Lem Satterfield

Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, on Friday said Floyd Mayweather's camp "wants Olympic-style drug testing" for the March 13 matchup between the sports' two best boxers -- something Roach said he has "no problem" with in an interview with Elie Seckbach of FanHouse.

Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) also would welcome such a procedure when reached Saturday in the Philippines, where he is with the seven-division world champion.

"Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. And none of this is getting under Manny's skin or anything," said Koncz.

"I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter," said Koncz. "It's something foolish anyway. Why would we be concerned? We know he doesn't do any of that s**t."

Leonard Ellerbe, manager of Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), confirmed their side's desire for the random procedure for both fighters.

"This will be implemented. It is going to be done," Ellerbe told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press, the hometown newspaper of Mayweather, now a Las Vegas resident.

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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/12/15/source-mayweather-pacquiao-could-be-done-this-week/

http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/12/15/source-mayweather-pacquiao-could-be-done-this-week/

Source: Mayweather-Pacquiao Could Be Done This Week

12/15/2009 3:06 AM ET By Lem Satterfield

With each fighter's side in virtual agreement with all of the parameters, and the potential sites narrowed down to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and Cowboys Stadium, a deal for the March 13 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao megabout could "definitely be finalized this week," according to a source close to the negotiations.

Although Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has offered $25 million to host the bout, that number could rise, the fight's promoters believe.

Still, the offer from Dallas is expected to be surpassed by the MGM Grand, where both fighters and their respective promoters have familarity and have routinely enjoyed success.

The 32-year-old Mayweather, a five-time champion being represented by Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, is 6-0 with two knockouts at the MGM.

The 30-year-old Pacquiao, a winner of seven crowns in as many weight divisions, is promoted by Top Rank's Bob Arum. Pacquiao is 3-1-1 at MGM.

Citing a source involved in the site talks, The Los Angeles Times spelled out a scenario in which the MGM Grand would generate $28 million in live-gate sales, offer 40,000 closed-circuit seats through MGM/Mirage properties, and charge $100 a head for a possible $4 million surplus -- a total worth of around $32 million.

"I really believe that it will be done by late Thursday," said the source. "It will definitely be finalized this week. I'm just not sure if it's going to be Dallas or the MGM."

Schaefer, Mayweather's manager Leonard Ellerbe, and Mayweather's camp members have agreed not to comment publicly during negotiations.

But Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser, believes he knows where the fight will take place.

"I believe that it will end up at the MGM because both fighters want to fight in Las Vegas," said Koncz. "I think that both fighters have expressed their desire to fight in Las Vegas."

Pacquiao has even agreed to an Olympic-style, random drug test at the request of Mayweather's camp.

Floyd Mayweather Sr., the fighter's father, has insinuated that the Filipino star may have used steroids since he's maintained his punching power from 106 to nearly 147 pounds.

"They make a big deal out of Manny's having supernatural power. But Manny's just a freak of nature and he's very religious," said Koncz.

"I don't know if there's a connection [between Pacquiao's faith and his power], but there are, certainly, no illicit drugs there," said Koncz. "I know that for a fact. Maybe Manny does get it from the Lord."

Mayweather-Pacquiao will be contested at the welterweight (147) limit for the WBO title that Pacquiao earned from Cotto on Nov. 14.

Pacquiao is 11-0 with eight knockouts since a March 2005 loss to Erik Morales -- including consecutive KOs of David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

A Las Vegas resident, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has decisioned Gregorio Vargas, Jose Luis Castillo, De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez at MGM, where he also has stopped Diego Corrales and Hatton.
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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/12/19/source-mgm-will-be-site-of-floyd-mayweather-vs-manny-pacquiao/

Sources: MGM Will Be Site of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao

12/19/2009 8:05 PM ET By Lem Satterfield

Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will contest their megabout for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title on March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, according to sources with knowledge of the decision.

"It's the MGM. It's definite," said a source.

The MGM was chosen over the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, whose owner, Jerry Jones, had offered $25 million to host the bout. The promoters of both fighters, however, had indicated that they felt the MGM's offer could surpass that of Jones.

The choice of the MGM Grand, whose deal specifications are unclear, is largely based in both fighters' familiarity with the location as well as their past success there.

News conferences already had been planned for Jan. 6, followed by one in Los Angeles two days later on Jan.8, the sources indicated.

Both Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) were in agreement in principle with all of the fight deal's negotiation parameters, including a 50-50 financial split, competition at the 147-pound limit, eight-ounce gloves, and an Olympic-style random drug test at the request of Mayweather's camp.

Mayweather, a 32-year-old who is being represented by Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer in the negotiations, is a five-time champion, with a 6-0 record at the MGM that includes two knockouts.
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Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2009/12/pacquiao-wants-10-million-per-pound-penalty-above-147/

Pacquiao wants $10 million per pound penalty above 147

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December 22nd, 2009

By Manuel Perez: It looks like World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is asking for a $10 million in fraction penalty for every pound over the 147 pound limit. In an article by Nice Giongco from Fight News, he quotes a text message from Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal “demanding a penalty of $10 million per pound or a fraction thereof over and above 147 lbs during the weighin.”

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It looks like Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach want to make Mayweather hesitant about coming in over the official limit for the fight. Both Mayweather and Pacquiao would be effected by the weight penalty rule, but it would seem to be more of a problem for Mayweather, because he failed to come in at the correct weight last time out.
In Mayweather’s last bout against Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather came in over the 144 pound weight limit for the fight. Marquez, who moved up in weight nine pounds from the lightweight division, came in at the 144 pound catch weight without any problems, but Mayweather didn’t, weighing 146 for the fight. Mayweather looked strong and bigger than Marquez in the fight and because he didn’t have to drain himself making the catch weight, he seems to have benefited. So I guess I can understand why Pacquiao and his team would want Mayweather to think twice about coming in over the weight limit. But, man, that’s a lot of money.

I don’t know how they’ll make that rule stick. But it does need to be a huge penalty, because without it, Mayweather, if he chooses, can ignore it and come in at whatever weight he wants to. The reason he could do this is because of the huge money that both he and Pacquiao will be making for this fight. A penalty in the hundreds of thousands would be nothing for Mayweather – or Pacquiao – when they both stand to make $40 million a piece for their March 13th fight.

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dan-b · Aug 21, 2010

Let's not do this. Get over it.

Concrete · Aug 21, 2010

http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/12/22/freddie-roach-manny-pacquiao-wont-do-olympic-style-blood-test/

Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight in Jeopardy Over Drug Testing

12/22/2009 8:01 PM ET By Lem Satterfield

Manny Pacquiao is apparently refusing to take a blood test prior to the proposed fight with Floyd Mayweather and being supported by his trainer, Freddie Roach.

"A urine drug test, I'll do every day of the week. But giving blood before a fight, I will not let my fighter do," Roach said during a telephone call from his Wild Card Boxing Club on Tuesday.

"And they can't guarantee me that that won't happen the day before a fight because they want random testing. So it's my choice. So if you want to blame somebody, blame me."

Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who is handling the fight's negotiations on behalf of Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), indicated in a press release on Tuesday that the Mayweather-Paqcuiao megabout is now in jeopardy after he first learned of Pacquiao's decision to not comply with the Olympic-style drug testing from Top Rank president Todd duBoef.

"Manny does not like having to give blood before a fight. It's like having sex: Does sex bother a fighter before a fight? If it's in your head mentally, then yes, it does. And with Manny Pacquiao, it's in his head that he feels weak if he gives blood, and there's no way that I'm going to let him go into the ring with that on his mind," said Roach.

"I've done my homework, I've talked to experts," Roach added, "Urine and blood-testing are almost identical in this type of situation. Neither test can detect growth hormones and HGH and stuff like that anyway. So, I'll do all of the urine tests in the world, no problem. I'll give blood 30 days before the fight or after the fight in the dressing room, I'll give blood, but not right before the fight.

"I never thought that Floyd wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao, and now, he wants to cancel a fight because we won't take a pre-fight blood test, but we'll do any other commission test or any urine test in the world. Floyd Mayweather is not the commission, and we'll go by the local commission rules like everyone else in the world."

But an angered Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's adviser, told FanHouse on Tuesday, "Freddie Roach is full of s**t."

"They're scrambling and they're boxed in and they know it," Ellerbe added.

"It's our understanding that the [United States Anti-Doping Agency] will not be drawing blood 24 hours before the fight, so there shouldn't be a problem. They're probably saying something along the lines that Floyd Mayweather is trying to get out of the fight," said Ellerbe. "Well, if he feels that this is Floyd's way trying to get out of the fight, then all Manny Pacquiao has to do is agree to the testing."

"Manny does not like having to give blood before a fight. It's like having sex: Does sex bother a fighter before a fight? If it's in your head mentally, then yes, it does."
-- Freddie Roach
Initially it was thought that Pacquiao had agreed, in principal, to the testing, in accordance with other stipulations for the bout, including a 50-50 financial split, eight-ounce gloves and the weight of 147 pounds, according to Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz.

"Negotiations are at an impasse because of their failure to agree to an Olympic-style, random drug-testing. And as management, we are insisting that this be done in a manner in which there is a level playing field. And the way to do that is through Olympic-style, random drug-testing," said Ellerbe.

"The premier agency to administer this is the United States Anti-Doping Agency. If it's good enough for Lance Armstrong, Lebron James, Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and Floyd Mayweather, then why shouldn't it be good enough for Manny Pacquiao.

"Hopefully, this is some type of misunderstanding, or Manny Pacquiao isn't aware of this. Because, surely, I can't imagine him refusing to do this and walking away from the biggest fight in the history of boxing."

The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, whose Nevada State Athletic Commission licenses fighters for a period of one year, and does not require blood testing for drugs.

The NSAC, which tests urine, does require blood testing for AIDS and other blood-related diseases. Pacquiao has been cleared to fight by Las Vegas testing for a nearly dozen of his fights there, including his last six bouts and his Nov. 14,. 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand.

"We're all for drug-testing, and we're all for boxing being a drug-free sport, but what we're not for is being harrassed into taking blood tests the day of the fight, or, even, the week of the fight. We will not succumb to that," said Koncz, from the Philippines, where he said that Pacquiao would soon be making an official statement on the matter.

"The bottom line is that Manny believes that all athletes, while they're performing, they're role-models to the public, and, especially children. They should be free of drugs," said Koncz. "If they want us to **** in a bottle 20 times a day up until two hours before the fight, we'll be happy to do it. But we're not going to take blood that close to the fight. If they want to draw blood, they can do it right after the fight."

But Roach has told FanHouse that he has "no problem" with drug-testing of Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), a seven-division champion who has carried his power from his initial weight class at 106 pounds all the way through to 147.

"Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter. It's something foolish anyway. Why would we be concerned? We know he doesn't do any of that [stuff]," Koncz told FanHouse.

The notion of steroid use by Pacquiao first surfaced back on Sept. 15, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. told The Grand Rapids Press, "I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not."

Roach and Pacquiao were then informed of Floyd Sr.'s implications for the first time by FanHouse.

"Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from?" asked Roach, referring to Pacquiao's second-round victory over Ricky Hatton, who was trained by Floyd Sr. at the time.

"You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lose," said Roach. "They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."

Pacquiao seemed equally perplexed.

"You know what? I don't even know what a steroid is," said Pacquiao. "I've never done that. Maybe all of them -- they're using the steroids, and not me."

Olympic style drug testing involves random sampling of the athlete's blood and urine prior to and after the fight. The USADA procedure includes both blood and urine so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.

In a press release on Tuesday, Schaefer said that he was contacted by Top Rank president Todd duBoef, who told him Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood taken within 30 days of the bout based on the fighter's superstition of testing so close to a fight.

"Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight. He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight," Schaefer was quoted as saying in the release.

"It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao's representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight."
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A look back at the Pac-May negociations

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A look back at the Pac-May negociations

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