January 18th, 2010 
Bad Brad 
By Brian Wilbur
Welcome to the mailbag fight fans. From the collective emails I have received lately I can say that there is widespread disappointment among fans over the failure of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather to come to fruition. Many fans are still in disbelief despite the announcement that the fight was dead about two weeks ago.
Manny Pacquiao is set to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13th. Clottey is as quality of an opponent as there was available, so kudos to Pacquiao for taking a chance, but the fact of the matter is that Clottey is not a star, therefore has zero PPV marketability. Pacman vs. Clottey, though competitive and interesting for hardcore fans, is not a super fight by any stretch of the imagination.
Floyd Mayweather has not yet named an opponent but as of right now is planning on fighting a Paulie Malignaggi level opponent, also on March 13th in a competing card. Trying to compete against Pacquiao on the same night for the right to televise on HBO might be a bad move. HBO, if they had any sense, would televise the better fight, which would be the Pacquiao fight. Regarding Mayweather vs. Malignaggi, I would be slightly more interested in that fight than say Roy Jones vs. Bernard Hopkins II, but that is not saying much. Floyd should back off and find a different date for the good of the sport.
Before depression has time to completely sink in, at least we have Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto to look forward to in two weeks on January 30th. That should be an excellent action fight fought at a very high level of competition, perhaps enough to make us forget about Pacquiao and Mayweather, at least temporarily. I give my prediction for that fight in response to a question in this week’s mailbag, but mostly I tackle more Pacquiao/Mayweather related questions. Enjoy the mailbag and please feel free to email me your thoughts and questions.
This is unfortunate and unfair for Manny. As a fan of Pacquiao, I want him to take these tests to get everyone off of his back and prove them wrong. If that was the tactic of GBP and the Mayweathers, to pressure Pacquiao into giving in, they planned their strategy well even though it did not work.
I give my thoughts about Floyd Mayweather using Xylocaine in the next email.
I would say so. Mayweather allegedly uses it for brittle hands but that is not fair in my opinion. The use of such numbing agents should be banned just like any other performance enhancing drug. Floyd was born with weak hands and he has to deal with that handicap. It is not like a boxer who was born with a weak chin is able to wear a football helmet and facemask!
You have made as convincing an argument for Pacquiao’s case as I have read yet in all of the emails that I have received. I probably wouldn’t want to take my fourth consecutive blood test in a row if I was in the middle of intense training. Especially if I were Pacquiao, scared of needles and superstitious about giving blood.
My hope rests in the future of PED testing, with the HGH urine test. If that test is perfected and approved it would entirely eliminate the need for blood tests.
If your theory that this blood testing campaign was all an elaborate mind game from the Mayweather camp and not real concern over testing policy, then shame on Mayweather.
Jun,
No, there is no difference between a test taken right before a fight opposed to right after. But that is irrelevant! This is not the issue at all.
There is a HUGE difference between taking a test 30 days prior to the fight and then right after the fight. This is the issue at hand. Read my response to Ronald again:
“The problem is that Pacquiao would not agree to a blood test any less than 30 days prior to the fight. 30 days is a huge gap in time, plenty of time to take a PED and get it out of your system.”
HGH (Human Growth Hormone) is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body. Drugs companies have found out a way to make this hormone synthetically in the lab. Athletes take HGH because the effects are similar to than of anabolic steroids. There is no urine test that can detect HGH. The blood test that tests for HGH is not very effective either and can only catch dopers within 2-3 days of use.
By stating these facts I am educating boxing fans of the facts about PEDs and PED testing. I am not insinuating anything by stating facts that urine tests are not able to catch all PEDs. A blood test done 30 days prior to the fight and then once right after the fight would not catch all PEDs either. Nowhere at all do I suggest that Pacquiao is doping. Based on the facts above, I would assume that HGH is the drug that Mayweather thinks Pacquiao is on. Otherwise he would not be so adamant about blood testing.
For the record, I believe that Manny Pacquiao is innocent of using PEDs.
Ed,
According to Floyd Mayweather, the 14 day period was offered during the mediation. Mayweather is the only source of this information so I do not know if that is accurate, nor do I know if your version of the story is accurate.
The information that we know about the mediation session was leaked by the parties separately. We heard two very biased points of view so it is hard to decipher what is true and what is false.
However we got to this point, Mayweather is yet again going to take on a less than stellar opponent.
Daniel,
Fair point Daniel. I am sure that Paul Williams would do ten consecutive back flips, stand on his head, and spit wooden nickels in order to get a fight against Floyd Mayweather. Unfortunately Williams’ name has never even been whispered as a potential foe.
Out of the three names that you mentioned, I like Timothy Bradley the best. He is the best boxer at 140 pounds and a very solid young champion. That would not be a bad fight for Mayweather, and among the best possible opponents he could find, albeit a step down from Williams or Miguel Cotto. Unfortunately, I don’t think Mayweather wants a piece of Bradley either, he’s too dangerous.
I don’t think that Antonio Margarito should be in the running for any major fight right now due to his cheating scandal.
Paulie Malignaggi is a B level junior welterweight, which is not the best opponent for an A+ level welterweight. With these choices of opponents I am not sure if Floyd was serious about improving his legacy when he came out of retirement. Why come out of retirement for a ho-hum fight? He might as well have stayed retired instead of wasting his time and our time with nothing fights.
The only way for Pacquiao to prove his innocence without a shadow of a doubt would be to give a blood test everyday leading up to his fight with Joshua Clottey, starting now. He would have to test clean on all of his tests and then knock out Clottey to prove that he was the same fighter who KO’d Hatton and Cotto.
This is obviously unnecessary and unreasonable to ask of Pacquiao. Manny doesn’t need to go through excessive amounts of pain and trial prove his innocence. However it would have been nice if he had agreed to some kind of reasonable cut off date for the fight with Mayweather, to appease Mayweather and allow this fight to happen. What a shame the fight fell through.
Both! They have egos and are unwilling to compromise because they both think that they are the man. Can you imagine a young, hungry, unknown Mayweather or Pacquiao turning down a fight of this magnitude due to some petting BS like this? They are both in the wrong! And selfish for not making this fight happen for the fans.
Sorry for not giving you a one word response but this is what I think.
2. Tony’s confidence (and punching power) was way down because he had no more cement in his hands.
Vinjo,
Nice observations Vinjo. Pacquiao’s proposed next opponent is much stronger than Mayweather’s proposed next opponent. There is no question about that. Joshua Clottey is a top flight welterweight, and due to his flying-under-the-radar status, he the kind of guy that nobody wants to fight. Mayweather wouldn’t take on someone like Clottey because the risk/reward ratio is too high. Manny, on the other hand, just fights and takes on the best boxer who is willing to step in the ring with him. This is why Pacquiao has buzz as being one of the greatest of all time.
The only person who talks about Floyd Mayweather as being one of the greatest of all time is Floyd Mayweather. He has to start proving it in the ring if he wants anyone to believe him.
You make valid points regarding Andre Berto vs. Shane Mosley. I like Mosley here even though I agree with your two points. Mosley is getting older and that win over Margarito looked liked he was at the right place at the right time more than anything that Mosley did.
Still, Shane is and always has been crafty and consistent. He is going to take a very green and overrated Berto to school with his boxing ability. I see Berto as another Jermain Taylor. He is incredibly gifted physically but he is not on the elite level in terms of boxing skill. Andre has not proven himself against enough quality opponents for me to pick him against someone like Mosley. Berto’s only fight against a top ranked welterweight was against Luis Collazo and he was less than impressive. Berto is nowhere near a proven commodity yet.
I can’t wait to see this one though. Berto is a young bull who will be aggressive offensively and I have never seen Mosley back down from a brawl. One other reason why I like Mosley is that he tends to do well against opponents who come after him. The style that Shane struggles with is against defensive boxers with good jabs, and Berto does not fit that description.
Okay folks, that’s all I have for now. Come back next time for more mailbag fun.
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Brian,
I’ve read an article about the USAD concerning HGH AND PEDS what bothered me most is about HGH RE-LEASERS, that even the highest Pharmaceutical agencies of America or any others around the world can’t detect HGH, AND MORE DIFFICULT IS HGH RE-LEASERS that’s why even blood testing can’t detect HGH trough blood testing? then if I’m a simple fan of boxing knew it how about the expert of boxing and any other sports?
The most Intriguing part is they said “only a dumb boxer will be caught using HGH” THEN RANDOM BLOOD TESTING IS USELESS IF NOBODY WILL BE CAUGHT
Floyd camps knew it better than anybody else then what really the purpose of testing? “TO WEAKENED PACQUIAO” AM I CORRECT?
MY LAST QUESTION IS? DO YOU THINK THAT NSAC KNEW IT (blood testing is useless because of HGH RELEASERS) THAT IS WHY THEY STICK ON URINE TESTING?
Brian,
In my own mere knowledge, HGH DOESN’T TRAIN NOR TEACH TECHNIQUES IT ONLY ENHANCE WHAT YOU HAVE, WHAT IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO ENHANCE? Vargas is Positive of steroids But he lost to DLH…SO what’s the use of it?
Yes I agree PEDS will not enable you to throw the perfect left hook, or improve your foot work, but it jives you a greater advantage over the next athlete
I dont think Mayweathers cam’s intent is to weaken Pacquiao, Floyd would also be subjected to the same process and risk being weakened himself
Well, there was a video all over boxing forums showing Pacquiao’s interview in 2005 after his defeat by Morales. Manny said that after a blood sample was drawn from him two days before the fight, he felt so weak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLJVl4F6eMk&feature=related
Not all people get weak. Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell also have the same issue with blood test
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4515784.ece
Well I am sure Manny as like all boxers was seeking a excuse for his defeat, just a thought but uhhh manny loses more blood in the ring and it does not seem to make him weak
if you read information in that link. it’s so stupid to conclude that he is scared of mayweather. On the other hand who is mayweather to demand this kind of testing. He’s been demanding all kinds of weird stuff. He wanted to fight at 154 lbs. He dictated pacquiao to wear 10 oz gloves, and the Olympic type blood testing. I also find people gullible to believe that pacquiao must submit to olympic style testing when no professional sports association in america has adopted this system. No profesional sports association in America require their athletes to be blood tested. Nobody requires fighters who have history of using steroids, (Moshley, Vargas etc.) to submit to olympic style testing. Having said that it doesn’t take a moron to figure out how scared Myweather to face pacquiao
Weak? this is just a lame excuse if you ask me.
IN 2008, USA today published an article saying, The current HGH test, introduced before the 2004 Summer Games, has yet to turn up a positive result for the substance in an athlete
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2008-05-27-hgh-cover_N.htm
Grim, my reply above is supposed to be for another blog.
With regards to your thoughts that Pacquiao was just trying to find an excuse after his defeat to Morales, I don’t think that it’scorrect. In that interview, the anchor said that “here in Manila we were so worried that the fight wouldn’t push through”. It was all over the news in Manila before the fight that Pacquiao was hesitant to have his blood drawn two days before the fight. It was also all over the news in Manila before the fight that Pacquiao was feeling weak because of the blood drawn from him and was also frustrated about the 10 oz gloves that he was forced to wear. Manny’s defeat to Morales was not surprising at all to filipinos because of the news prior to the fight.
@ jeffohms! Understood but come on we are not talking gallons or pints of blood, The amount taken is not even noticeable, I would understand more if it was a superstition.
To Grim,
For sure, but you cannot blame Pacquiao for this superstition because he was blaming his lost to Morales to blood test. Even Michael Jordan has his own superstition. He religiously wore his North Carolina Tarheel shorts underneath his real game shorts in every games. In my opinion, Pacquiao was really pissed when Mayweather and GBP disseminate press release insinuating that he is using PED and this made him adamant about not taking olympic style testing. Pacquiao made a compromise offer by agreeing to random urine test and 3 blood test but GBP and Mayweather used dirty strategy by tarnishing Pacquiao’s reputation instead of staying in negotiating to achieve a compromise that is more acceptable to both of them. You should also know that Mayweather had beeen demanding several unreasonable things; such as dictating Pacquiao what gloves to wear and fighting at 154 lbs. I believe Pacquiao does not want to be dictated as olympic style testing is not implemented in any professional sports in America, let alone a blood test.