Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Negotiations for the mega fight between pound-4-pound king Manny Pacquiao and No. 1 contender Floyd Mayweather Jr. have stalled because of Pacquiao’s reluctance to adhere to an Olympic style drug testing, according to Golden Boy Promotions, who is negotiating with Top Rank on behalf of Mayweather Promotions. "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," said

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 sampling so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly.

For the past year, Floyd Mayweather Sr. has accused Pacquiao of using steroids or other performance enhancing drugs although the Filipino champion has passed every drug test given to him.

The fight—scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas—is seen as the fight that could potentially shatter the 2.4 million pay-per-view record buys held by Oscar De La Hoya and Mayweather Jr. in 2007 and could generate more than $100 million.

Schaefer said Top Rank President Todd duBoef informed him that 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.

Schaefer said Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn’t want to do it so close to the fight and that Pacquiao would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.

Mayweather, who was informed of Pacquiao’s reluctance shortly after Schaefer received word of the impasse, feels Pacquiao has to explain himself immediately or be faced with accusations from the media and the public regarding his own status as a clean and drug free athlete.

"I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don’t know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."