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Floyd Mayweather, JR – Manny Pacquiao A Fighters, B Samples and the Cost of Drug Allegations

Do you believe the rumors that Floyd Mayweather, JR. failed three drug tests?

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Mayweather-Pacquiao1By “Big” Bill Bradshaw

It’s said that attack is the best form of defense and this has never been more apt than in the ring. The principle was borne out to its fullest when Amir Kahn nullified every sharp punch in the Devon Alexander tool box with relentless combinations and lightning hand speed. Alexander simply couldn’t get his own shots off and, for a change; Khan was never in any danger of being hurt. But the old adage works just as well outside the ropes and, in the multi million dollar world of big time boxing, allegations are met with counter allegations and the truth lies at the bottom of deep and murky waters.

In 2012, convicted domestic abuser Floyd Mayweather, JR. made allegations that Manny Pacquiao was using performance enhancing drugs and suggested that the Filipino fighter should be banned from the sport. He made these allegations at a crucial time during intense negotiations to agree a mega bout between the fighters and at a point where 55-45 purse splits had been agreed. Pacquiao’s legal team lodged a defamation case and, through the mediation of retired judge Daniel Weinstein, both parties reached a settlement with Mayweather making Pacquiao ‘a very significant compensation payment’. Earlier, a federal judge ordered that Mayweather must pay Pacquiao $114,000 for avoiding questioning about the lawsuit. Mayweather was also forced into publicly withdrawing the allegations. I can hear the Floyd fans chuckle “Nice one boss, you taught the pactard a lesson and it only cost a small fortune and the laughter of those who don’t know s**t about boxing”. It’s past your bedtime wee fanatics…now put those stolen phones and laptops away and let the dope lull you to sleep while mommy drinks whiskey and turns tricks.

So for $114,000, a significant settlement and the humiliation of a public apology, Mayweather ducked fighting Pacquiao and, regardless of his victory in a court of law, the Floyd fanatics pointed the finger of blame at Manny and claimed the fight collapsing was his fault. It was a cheap way out for Mayweather but then, Floyd is a cheap guy. He bought his way out of a fight he desperately wants to avoid and I doubt if he felt much humiliation in the apology. A man who would do time in prison for savagely beating a woman and threatening his own children should they attempt to help her, forcing them to watch the brutal attack…helplessly terrified….someone who does that only understands humiliation when he is inflicting it.

But what of Floyd and the use of performance enhancing drugs? Thomas Hauser, Chairman of The Boxing Writers Association of America, a highly respected boxing correspondent, author of Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times and a man of huge integrity, wrote an article in 2012 stating that on May 20th of that year, a story broke in the drug-testing community that Floyd Mayweather had tested positive on three occasions for illegal performance enhancing drugs. The article went on to say “Mayweather’s ‘A’ sample had tested positive on three occasions and, after each test, USADA had found exceptional circumstances in the form of inadvertent use and gave Floyd a waiver. This waiver negated the need for a test of Floyd’s ‘B’ sample. And because the ‘B’ sample was never tested, a loophole in USADA’s contract with Mayweather and Golden Boy allowed the testing to proceed without the positive ‘A’ sample results being reported to Mayweather’s opponent or the Nevada State Athletic Commission (Who had jurisdiction over the fight)”. Wow…..wow…..wow. How corrupt is that?

We all know that Floyd injects the highly controversial drug Xylocaine but it’s not stated if that was the PED that allegedly tested on the three ‘A’ samples. I read recently that Mayweather, very controversially might I add, received permission from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to take Xylocaine injections due to his damaged hands. The drug has a numbing affect on the hands but also on the arms. A performance enhancing drug is ANY drug that enhances a fighter’s ability in ANY way and many people feel that limiting the pain factor in this way reduces the chances of a fighters arms getting tired during a bout and enhances his ability to take a shot. When asked if Xylocaine was a steroid, the answer was that, although other bodies agreed that it most certainly was, they felt it was not a steroid “per se”. Floyd can use Xylocaine/ Lidocaine in Nevada which may be the reason he will never fight outside of Las Vegas.

Back to the ‘A’ samples. The decision was taken, incorrectly so, not to test the ‘B’ samples. This in itself would be outrageous and I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a scenario where a single athlete fails three consecutive drug tests and nobody on the testing board demand a ‘B’ sample be tested. The ‘A’ sample simply sets off an alarm. It’s the ‘B’ sample that incriminates. It’s very easy for Floyd to demand random drug testing. He fails an ‘A’ test and declares that he’s taking the Lidocaine/Xylocaine but it’s ok with his buddies so don’t bother testing the ‘B’ sample and the cash cow keeps on giving. Still, he won’t fight Pacquiao but there is a wonderful satisfaction in knowing that Floyd Mayweather, JR. and his legions of illiterate fanatics know deep down that the world identifies a coward when it sees it. Scream, shout, take it to Facebook but Floyd would rather lose vast amounts of money to avoid an ass whooping than to take a record payday to put it out there against Pacquiao.

BrandoTo quote Marlon Brando in ‘On the Waterfront’…”You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum which is what I am, let’s face it”. Those lines coulda been written for Floyd.

 

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