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Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com
Contributing photographer Tom Donoghue compiles his favorite photos from the boxing careers of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas ahead of their big match-up sometime in 2010.
Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010 | 5:02 p.m.
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Sun Archives
- Promoter says Mayweather, Pacquiao fight is dead (1-6-10)
- Representatives from Pacquiao and Mayweather meet in LA (1-6-10)
- Nevada orders urine tests for Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (12-28-09)
- Pacquiao camp makes final proposal in Mayweather match (12-27-09)
- Pacquiao says he plans to sue Mayweather (12-25-09)
- Promoter Arum calls Pacquiao-Mayweather dead (12-24-09)
- Mayweather/Pacquiao fight in air after disagreement over drug testing (12-23-09)
Floyd Mayweather Jr. blamed Manny Pacquiao for the collapse of their prospective bout Thursday, claiming the Filipino boxer refuses to accept a reasonable compromise on drug testing concerns.
Mayweather also says he's still ready to sign a deal for the fight, which was slated for March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas before Pacquiao promoter Top Rank declared it dead Wednesday night.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) made his first public comments about the negotiations in a written statement that began with Mayweather saying he's "thoroughly disgusted" by Pacquiao's representatives' attempts to blame him for the collapse of what's likely to be the richest bout in boxing history.
"In my opinion it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever," Mayweather said. "I know the people will see through their smokes screens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight."
The sides went to mediation on Tuesday in Santa Monica in an attempt to resolve the drug testing issues that are the only remaining conflicts in the negotiation. Mayweather's demands for frequent blood testing beyond the Nevada Athletic Commission's requirements - and Pacquiao's reluctance to agree to those requests - have derailed the bout.
Mayweather initially demanded repeated blood testing right up to the day of the fight, while Pacquiao asked for a 30-day cutoff before the bout. Mayweather now claims he agreed to a 14-day cutoff compromise before the mediation session began, but Pacquiao still wouldn't accept those terms.
"The truth is he just doesn't want to take the tests," Mayweather said.
Pacquiao has filed a lawsuit alleging Mayweather and most of his representatives, including Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, defamed him by falsely accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum was brutally frank about his former fighter on Wednesday night, telling The Associated Press that Mayweather is "a psychological coward who doesn't want to fight anybody who has a chance of beating him."
After generating stellar pay-per-view revenue from their previous fights, both Pacquiao and Mayweather likely stood to make much more than $25 million apiece from their welterweight bout. Mayweather returned to the ring after a 21-month absence in September with a victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, while Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) pounded Miguel Cotto in November for his 13th straight victory since 2005.
Pacquiao is widely considered boxing's pound-for-pound champion, an unofficial title held by Mayweather before his aborted retirement. Their proposed fight was seen as the biggest moment in boxing since Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.
Daniel Weinstein, the retired federal judge who oversaw the mediation, also issued a statement Thursday saying little about the actual discussions.
"In the end, the parties could not agree on a testing protocol acceptable to all," Weinstein's statement read.
I would give any amount of blood as long as It dosent kill for 25 million..
I'll pay to see them arm-wrestle.
'Mayweather initially demanded repeated blood testing right up to the day of the fight, while Pacquiao asked for a 30-day cutoff before the bout. Mayweather now claims he agreed to a 14-day cutoff compromise before the mediation session began, but Pacquiao still wouldn't accept those terms"
...ESPN just reported that Pacquiao agreed to take a urine test at any time, a blood test 24 days before the fight and MOST IMPORTANTLT right after the fight, and pretty boy Floyd still wouldn't accept those terms.
PacMan is dirty and Floyd as well as the boxing community know this. If you are clean you should have nothing to worry about. Floyd has no problem pissing in a cup 20 times a day for the next 5 months!
I am tired of hearing people say that Floyd is the one who is scared here. He was the first of the 2 to sign for the fight and what he is asking for makes all the sense in the world. Floyd isn't asking Manny to do something that he himself isn't going to do. Manny is going to walk away from a $40 to $50 million dollar payday because he is afraid of needles? He is tatted all over but won't give blood? That doesn't raise red flags in your mind? Floyd is brilliant and Manny looks like the bad guy in this one not money "May". If Manny has nothing to hide he agree's to these demands and takes this fight. Regular boxing tests only cover about 100 specifics in the body but Olympic style testing covers 800 different specifics so that you can hide nothing that's why Floyd wants it done.....
Manny's the champion so he holds all the cards.Why should he be expected to agree to Floyd's demands? It is good to be King ~ Mel Brookes
If Mayweather really wanna fight Pacquaio, then he needs to drop his demand for random drug testing via blood specimen, urine test is more than sufficient enough to check all laboratory technician needs to check. Mayweather needs to replace all his consultant on this bloodtesting
procedure, he needs to place his concentration on doing the fight and get ready to face Pacquaio inside the ring.
Mayweather needs to rid himself of his skating rink parking lot, thug mentality. Who really cares about this lying paraisite anyway? Regardless of what he says the IRS is after him and he is heavily in debt. He owns nothing.
pac doesn't want to fight mayweather. period. he's already lined up his next fight with clottey. why should mayweather drop the testing issue? let pac fight clean.
I see no one mentioned that Floyd agreed to a 10 million dollar fine for every pound he is over 147. Talk about ridiculous demands. Homer you are obviously a Floyd hater. He has paid his IRS debt and has more money than you will ever get. You little dick geeks over use the word thug. I will take you to ST. Louis and show you what a real thug is.
Pacquaio should have countered mayweather camp to do drug testing to all the member of team mayweather including cocain. Mayweather will surely drop the demand for blood testing.
Clearly Mayweather had second thoughts about facing Manny Pacquaio and was looking to somehow get out of it.
That's why he invented this ridiculous blood testing demand, to create an excuse to cancel.
Pacquiao had nothing to lose in this fight and Mayweather had everything to lose. All Mayweather has is a fight record that Pacquaio could own with a victory, Pacquiao has a legendary 7 Titles in 7 weight divisions, something that can never be taken away.
Floyd Mayweather losing to Manny Pacquiao would make Mayweather irrelevant, and he knows it.
Going from 106 to 147 and not losing any speed or power along the way raises question marks. Manny has only gotten faster and stronger along the way while he has jumped 41 pounds in weight. This smells like "HGH" all the way. Urine testing doesn't detect everything but a persons blood will tell you everything about them. Floyd is such a competitor that he is not willing to give Manny any edges at beating him. The only way Manny could beat Floyd is "HGH" & May knows that. I will ask it again, Manny is going to walk away from a $40-$50 million dollar pay day because he is afraid of needles or does he have "HGH" to hide?
good dont fight....let boxing die a slow death...its a skill not a sport.anymore.....when all you old guys die off that will be it....
Just respect the decision of the boxers if pacman do not want the 14 day cut-off just be it, if floyd doesnt want the 24 day cut-off just let them decides, besides we're not the one whos going to square. For Bet if you're right that anyone of them takes HGH or PED's, pac desides to give blood minutes after the fight and if he's prooven to had been taken those drugs, stripped the belt. Do you think Manny would risk all the hardworks, the 7th title in seven division if he is taking any HGH or PED.
I understand what you are saying dm, about giving blood after the fight but this is how I see it. You can give blood after the fight but it doesn't change the fact that you just got your a** kicked in front of millions. Sure you could be stripped of a belt but what about the embarrasment of getting your backside handed to you. Floyd wants to make sure manny is clean before the fight.
Manny is the equivilant to MLB's, 5'10 - 180 lb. 2nd baseman that go from 180 lbs and deep pop up's in the infield to 220 lbs. and upper deck blasts in center field. Something doesn't seem right.
This Gayweather is scared of his own ghost. I don't think he even belongs to the top P4P, not deserving to be number 2!1
*** ATTENTION *** THE REASON PACQUIAO/MAYWEATHER FIGHT WAS NOT A POSSIBILITY FOR COWBOYS STADIUM:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAIQBcpHp...)
Mayweather uses a numbing agent for his hands that is considered a Performance Enhancing Drug in 49 states. Mayweatehr will NEVER fight outside of Nevada because that is the only state where it is legal for him to use this drug.
IRONY at its best!
Also, I dont know how many times I have to see someone say Pacquiao said he was afraid of needles... I challenge ANYONE to email me where Pacquiao said this. Aside from that I also want to say that if you call Pacquiao heavily tattooed LOL you are a sheltered moron - he has like 1 hour worth of tattoes on his entire body LOL
What's the point of taking a blood before the fight when the guy (Paquiao) agreed to have it right after the fight? All they have to do is put up a penalty clause, let's say $25M penalty and a lifetime ban, for who ever found out positive of drug/s. Let me ask you, did they check Margarito before the fight with Mosley? NO.
Mayweather will not face nor fight anybody who has a big chance of winning against him at this time because he still paying up the IRS of $6M and he wants the last big money, his going to earn fighting Pacquiao, for his retirement.