Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao Fight on Hold from Drug Testing Disagreement

The super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is on the rocks just days after it seemed to be all but done. A major snag between the two camps has arisen in the form of the drug testing procedures that will be followed during training for the two fighters.

A series of dueling press releases and public statements by Mayweather and his promotional team Golden Boy, as well as Pacquiao's promotional team Top Rank have been widely distributed over the last day. Bob Arum of Top Rank is saying that he's ready to move onto another plan for Pacquiao on March 13^th, while Oscar de La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy are saying this is merely the final snag until the fight is officially delivered to the public.

Mayweather's stance is that for the fight to be finalized he wants the United States Anti-Doping Agency to handle the drug testing. Holding up to Olympic standards would require both fighters to be tested more frequently throughout their training camps.

This adds more fuel to the Internet rumor mill fire that has several fighters and trainers commenting that they believe Manny Pacquiao is taking steroids. The rumors are entirely based on conjecture however, as a result of Pacquiao's continued ascent through the weight classes without losing speed, power or strength. There is no proof, and all professional boxers undergo post fight drug screening.

Denying the more stringent drug testing however does not help squash this kind of rumor, particularly with the hundreds of millions of dollars that are at stake with a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather clash. For their part, Pacquiao's camp has said that he would be open to three drug tests - one when the fight is announced, one 30 days out prior to the fight and one immediately following the bout.

Pacquiao's camp doesn't want further testing during camp for two reasons. First, Pacquiao is apparently uneasy about ever having blood work done and secondly he is superstitious and feels that it weakens him, something he obviously would not be inclined to do prior to the biggest fight of his career.

Mayweather usually receives the blame for bouts such as this not getting completed. However, one must believe that in today's sports culture, both fans and the media would side with him on this issue if USADA drug testing is really what flushes the fight.

Meanwhile, team Mayweather is quick to point out that they have ceded some major negotiating points in an effort to oblige Pacquiao and his desires for the fight. Mayweather will face a $10 million penalty for every pound he weighs over the welterweight limit of 147 lbs.

To put that into perspective, that means that for every extra bowl of Ramen noodles - one of his professed favorite snacks - that Mayweather munches on in training camp, he better be ready to convince another 320,000 people to purchase the pay-per-view battle in order to come out even.

While the anxious boxing public is quick to jump on any rumor regarding a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao bout, one must still hold cautious optimism that this fight gets signed. Arum is notorious for negotiating via the media, and is the notorious source of the quote, "Yesterday I was lying, today I'm telling the truth."

The bottom line is that there is too much at stake, both financially and in terms of the fighters and their standing in history, for this fight not to get made. Should the two sides form a compromise of some sort on the drug testing issue, the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather battle will be held on March 13, 2010 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

For more news on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather bout, you can visit Pro Boxing Fans.