A much-anticipated fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao could be in danger because of a standoff over drug-testing procedures, reports said on Tuesday.
Filipino Pacquiao had agreed to have blood taken for testing before the initial media conference and after the fight but would not agree to have blood drawn within 30 days of the bout, Golden Boy Promotions said in a statement on Tuesday.
Golden Boy is representing the Mayweather camp, while Top Rank are Pacquiao's promoters.
The Mayweather camp wants Olympic-style testing procedures to be adopted, as mandated by the US Anti Doping Agency, which involve random blood and urine sampling prior to and after the fight.
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, said Top Rank President Todd duBoef had informed him that Pacquiao did not want to have blood taken within 30 days of the fight.
"Todd told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn't want to do it so close to the fight," Schaefer said. "He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight."
Top Rank were not immediately available for comment.
The fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao, considered the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, has been tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Comments