We already know why Manny Pacquiao has what it takes to succeed. With courage, discipline, hard work and faith, one can also make the case that he would have emerged equally successful in any job apart from, or other than, boxing. The meaning of the lessons that can be learned from his life and career transcends boxing. His story is bigger than the sport. Let us briefly recapture that story.
WAY TO THE TOP—A REPLAY
Attracting attention and collecting fat paychecks even from non-title fights, Pacquiao got something, by way of an unsolicited advice, from WBC President Jose Sulaiman. Directed at the The Pacman, Sulaiman issued a statement saying, in part, that “boxers are immortalized by the belts they won, not by the money they earned.”
Although Sulaiman did not appear to have moral suasion over Team Pacquiao, what happened next was that Pacquiao went into a belt-grabbing binge in such dramatic proportions not seen since Henry Armstrong did it in 1938.
After Pacquiao’s knock out win over Mexican Jorge Solis (33-0-2 win-loss-draw record) on April 14, 2007, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s coach and protector since 2001, bared what he saw in the future. “We will start collecting titles next year,” he said.
First, Juan Manuel Marquez got the rematch he demanded from Pacquiao. They clashed for the second time on March 15, 2008. After 12 rounds of intense battle, the judges ruled, 2-1, in favor of Pacquiao. The result was as controversial as the first fight, and the issues they generated were just as contentious.
If the fight settled one thing, however, it was the transfer of the super featherweight belt from Marquez to Pacquiao.
Pacquiao thus elevated himself to an elite class of 3-division champions that included Sugar Shane Mosley, Julio Cesar Chavez, etc.
Three months later, on June 28, 2008, Pacquiao took away David Diaz’s lightweight title via a ninth round stoppage. His waist brimmed with belts. He now had 4, and counting.
BELT NO. 3: On November 15, 2003 Manny Pacquiao pummeled Marco Antonio Barrera to submission and grabbed the latter’s “The Ring” Featherweight (126 lbs) Mythical Crown. Photo by Google Images.
Six months later, on December 6, 2008, he jumped 2 divisions upwards to face Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds. He weighed just 130 pounds 9 months earlier. Many people thought the De La Hoya fight was crazy for the immense disparity in size between the two warriors. They expressed concern about Pacquiao being destroyed beyond repair by De La Hoya. But on fight night, their concern soon shifted to the bigger De La Hoya.
Pacquiao battered Oscar before the latter gave up the fight and, eventually, his boxing career.
Pacquiao thus conquered 4 weight divisions in 10 months, all of them in blitzkrieg fashion.
He was not done, however. On May 5, 2009, he flattened Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds to wrest his 6th title in as many weight divisions.
And, topping it all, after 6 months, he defeated welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on November 14, 2009, for a record 7 titles in 7 weight divisions.
No one in boxing history had accomplished what Pacquiao has done. Oscar De La Hoya, having won world titles in 6 different weight divisions, comes closest to matching Pacquiao’s achievement. But unlike De La Hoya who started at super featherweight (130 lbs) and ended at middleweight (160 lbs), Pacquiao navigated a territory stretching over 41 lbs, from 106 to 147.
At the rate Pacquiao is trashing the competition; one wonders if there is anyone who can stop him. It seems—now or in the near future—no one is in sight.
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BELT NO. 7: On November 13, 2009, Manny Pacquiao knocked WBO Welterweight (147 lbs) champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico twice enroute to winning the latter’s title in Las Vegas, USA, to become the only boxer in history to win world titles in 7 different weight divisions. Photo by Picsearch.com
POWER OF WILL
When American boxing fans first saw Pacquiao in 2001, he was fighting as a super bantamweight. He knocked out Ledwaba to snatch the latter’s belt. At that time, Cotto had debuted as a pro at 139.5 pounds (light welterweight). Back then, it was unthinkable that a former super bantamweight would be facing a light welterweight. Indeed, at the time it was already braggadocio on his part to even challenge Barrera, who was then lord of all featherweights.
GOING FOR 8: On November 13, 2010, Manny Pacquiao will face Antonio Margarito of Mexico to contend for a world title at yet again heavier division, the WBC Super Welterweight (154 lbs) crown, possibly his eighth, in Dallas, Texas, USA. Photo credit: Bleacher Report
But Pacquiao went on to face not only a light welterweight. He went on to face a welterweight. He did not only face an ordinary welterweight. He faced an elite welterweight champion in Cotto.
Because of his amazing success in boxing, boxing fans are wont to ask: What makes The Pacman tick?
Some say he is a freak of nature. Others, such as the Mayweathers—believing that no living creature like him exists—have either implied or directly alleged that Pacquiao is taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs, or PEDs.
EARLIER, THIS BOOK has already cited the qualities that made Pacquiao the superb athlete that he is today. Let’s go over them one more time. First, he dreams and works on his dreams. Aside from his athletic gifts, much has been said about his legendary work ethic. He works harder in training camp than most of his competitors. This builds his stamina and further hones his skills.
The skills he has managed to develop overtime have been acknowledged by not a few boxing experts, such as Al Bernstein and Bert Sugar. Aside from his phenomenal hand and foot speed, Pacquiao has demonstrated success in launching attacks through uncanny angles and from all directions. Many observers concede that this offensive prowess has set Pacquiao apart from the rest of the greatest boxers.
That’s not all. He seems to have eternity at his disposal when judging whether to unload, reload, or load on his punches. We are talking here of milliseconds, like seeing Kobe Bryant at the apex of his leap. To unload means to reconfigure the footwork, keep the balance, or maintain a position for defense or offense. To reload means to stick with jabs and hooks that either stop a hostile attack or to set up one’s own assault. To load means to produce the right mix of mass and energy for arm and hip muscles behind a shot.
The aim is to stun and take out the prey. If his preparation for a fight is adequate, he is that sharp. He does not only hit the opponent. He hits them at places where it hurts.
In his book “Jeet Kune Do,” martial arts legend Bruce Lee said that the power of a punch comes from the hips. A lightweight fighter who harnesses this power can knockout more opponents than a heavyweight who doesn’t.
Second, he has no fear inside the ring. Fighters do not acquire them through training. Either they have it or they don’t. Courage makes it possible for Pacquiao to impose his will on his opponent. It allows him to commit to his punches and bring all his power behind them. It allows him to shift strategies (like fighting at close range the way he did against Cotto) which inferior fighters may find too risky to take.
In his post-fight analysis, Philippine Star sports writer Quinito Henson said: “Pacquiao took a big gamble by leaning against the ropes to invite Cotto to whale away. Only a gutsy and fearless fighter would do it. Pacquiao once more showed how big his heart is and when you come down to it, that was the margin of difference.”
Third, Pacquiao has tremendous will power. It is the root of his many other traits. He can compartmentalize his brain to focus on the task at hand. He finds order where others see chaos. While training for a fight, for example, he could work in the middle of a civil war. During fight night itself, he can be seen smiling as he enters the ring. But when the bell rings and the fighters are unleashed, his face turns serious, his jaws menacingly clinched.
Fourth, faith in His God has yet to be shaken. He genuinely believes in the power and benevolence of His God. Anything that happens from what he does, he leaves it all to God. He works and prays as hard as he could and believes that God will take care of the rest. He says: “Don’t tell God you have a great problem. Tell your problem you have a great God.”
Raised by a mother who once wished his son would become a priest, Pacquiao’s piety had probably emerged out of filial obligation. Today, the priest-to-be-turned-boxer looks every inch a disciple of God.
The manifestation of his belief in God is elaborate. He is respectful and always tries to be humble, like he sees God in people. He glances upward to acknowledge and thank his benefactor, like saying God is up there, higher than human beings. He makes the sign of the cross every time he looks unsure of what’s coming up, like saying “God, I’m yours. Let me be an instrument of your will.”
In behavioral expressions that may never be understood by people who do not belong to his religious faith, or those who have little regard for his cultural moorings, his preferences could be construed as lacking in any scientifically-coherent justification. Examples: Mandalay Bay over any other Las Vegas hotel; riding by car instead of by plane in going to Las Vegas from anywhere in the US; no to black clothing; female singers over male singers (except in the Ricky Hatton and Joshua Clottey fights) for the Philippine national anthem in his title fights, etc. And yes, after losing to Erik Morales in their first fight and blaming the blood test he took merely two days before the fight for what he deemed as sub-par performance, he has rejected subsequent demands for him to take any round of blood test so close to a fight. Where Samson in the Bible drew strength from his hair, Pacquiao feels something sacrosanct in this blood.
He also has a cute gesture that signifies his can-do spirit. No, it’s not the sign of the cross or a back kick of the rope. Neither it is about him kneeling down in the solace of his corner, apparently deep in prayer. This is what he does: As the referee gathers both fighters in the middle of the ring for the final pre-fight instructions and the ceremonial glove shake, Pacquiao makes it a point to put his gloves on top of the opponents’ gloves.
That is how the power of symbolism and imagery works in the superstitious world of Manny Pacquiao.
STEROIDS?
Minutes after Pacquiao dethroned Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, the crowd chanted "We want Floyd!" "We want Floyd!"
The fans voiced their choice. They made a noise about how Floyd Mayweather, Jr—whose retirement in 2007 gave way for Pacquiao to eventually supplant him at the mythical pound-for-pound throne—could possibly put up a real fight against the newly-crowned welterweight champion. In the days that followed, media generally referred to a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather match-up as the fight the world wanted to see.
Just a few weeks after the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, the potentially colossal Pacquiao-Mayweather clash (in terms of the amount of money and public interest experts believed it could generate) looked headed to reality. The relative ease by which the looming fistic duel progressed surprised those who expected lots of negotiating road blocks along the way, given the history of both fighters—and justified by how expensive their negotiators were—to demand every concession they could get from their opponents.
By the second week of December 2009, the HBO had already pegged a date for the bout: March 13, 2010. The venue (after Top Rank strongly pitched for Dallas Cowboys Stadium): MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA.
Then came the killer blow. In a flash, a dispute over blood testing protocol erupted. The Mayweather camp demanded that an Olympic-style random blood testing be conducted on both fighters. This meant that blood samples could be taken anytime, even on the day before or after the fight itself. The Pacquiao camp rejected the demand, saying that while random urinalysis and blood testing immediately after the fight were acceptable, it could not allow that blood samples be drawn at least 30 days before the fight. In his loss to Erik Morales in 2005, blood samples were drawn two days before the fight, and the Pacquiao camp used this argument to reject any blood testing so close to the day of the fight. Pacquiao himself explained that he felt weak during that Morales fight.
The Mayweather camp insisted that current drug testing methods being applied by the Athletic Commissions were inadequate. It stood firm on its demand for random blood testing, saying some performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), also loosely called steroids, cannot be detected from urine samples.
The US government agencies (like the State Athletic Commissions) that regulate professional boxing, among other contact sports, do not require blood samples for drug tests. Instead, they merely conduct urinalysis before and immediately after each fight.
The Mayweathers’ position found a major endorser in the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), World Anti-Doping Agency’s local arm in the US, whose Chief Executive, Travis Tygart, confirmed that there are
“performance enhancing drugs that only blood will detect. Those include human growth hormone [HGH]; HBOC—and that is synthetic hemoglobin; transfusions; certain forms of EPO, such as Mircera, which is essentially a designer EPO… .”
Tygart has also been reported to have explained that scheduled or pre-arranged blood testing gives athletes who want to hide something time to mask the banned substances in their system. Thus unannounced testing, or random, is what makes the process effective.
Urinalysis can detect at least 40 substances that are prohibited pursuant to the World Anti-Doping Code (under the auspices of World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. The substances include anabolic agents (eg, Anabolic Androgenic Steroids); Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors and Related Hormones (eg, Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents [e.g. erythropoietin (EPO), darbepoetin (dEPO), methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (CERA), hematide]; Chorionic Gonadotrophin and Luteinizing Hormone in males; Insulins; Corticotrophins; Growth Hormone [hGH], Insulin-like Growth Factor-1, Mechano Growth Factors, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor, Fibroblast Growth Factors, Vascular-Endothelial Growth Factor and Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) as well as any other growth factor affecting muscle, tendon or ligament protein synthesis/degradation, vascularisation, energy utilization, regenerative capacity or fibre type switching; Platelet-derived preparations (e.g. Platelet Rich Plasma, “blood spinning”) administered by intramuscular route); Beta-2 Agonists; Hormone Antagonists and Modulators; Diuretics and other masking agents.
There are also prohibited methods. They include enhancement of oxygen transfer, chemical and physical manipulation, and gene doping. In an article published by the “How Stuff Works” website, Craig Freudenrich explains that
“hGH is a naturally occurring protein hormone produced by the pituitary gland and is important for normal human growth and development, especially in children and teenagers. Low hGH levels in children and teenagers result in dwarfism. Excessive hGH levels increase muscle mass by stimulating protein synthesis, strengthen bones by stimulating bone growth and reduce body fat by stimulating the breakdown of fat cells… Erythropoietin (EPO) is a naturally occurring protein hormone that is secreted by the kidneys during low-oxygen conditions.
EPO stimulates the bone marrow stem cells to make red blood cells, which increase the delivery of oxygen to the kidney. Endurance athletes, such as those who compete in marathons, cycling or cross-country skiing, can use EPO to increase their oxygen supply by as much as seven to 10 percent.”
Ryan Dunn, in an article also published online (Boxingnews24.com) reported that
“as far as the EPO known as Mircera goes, the reason it doesn’t show up in the urine is because it breaks down in the body to molecules too large to pass through the kidneys. This makes it extremely difficult to detect in the urine, but it also means it stays in your body much longer. In fact, even a small dose of Mircera will stay in the body for an average of forty-two days. That means that, even with announced blood testing—as was requested by Manny Pacquiao in his recent negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr.—it would be impossible to cycle down during training and beat the tests.”
Dunn also reported that a new testing method—NanoTrap—using urinalysis, has been proven to be more effective than blood testing insofar as detecting hGH was concerned. In sum, he advanced the proposition that given the availability of new testing methods, Pacquiao’s position of blood testing not earlier than 30 days before the fight (EPO remains in body for more than that period of time) with random urinalysis (NanoTrap detects hGH) addressed Mayweather’s concerns for ensuring a fair fight against somebody he had accused to be a cheater.
Dr. Don Catlin, founder of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab and the LA-based Anti-Research and in-charge of blood testing for hGH at the Beijing Olympics, weighed in on the controversy by saying that he seriously questioned the effectiveness of blood testing used by WADA and USADA. Although available since the 2004 Athens Olympics, the "capture rate" of said test had been found dismal.
Sports fans in general who are interested in promoting integrity in athletic competition, as well as in raising awareness on health risks that come with PEDs, may find the September 2000 report by The US CASA National Commission on Sports and Substance Abuse titled “Winning at Any Cost: Doping in Olympic Sports" illuminating.
It recommended, among other things, that more research be conducted determine the long-term consequences of use of performance-enhancing substances.
EXASPERATED OVER THE IMPASSE between the negotiating parties, Top Rank’s Bob Arum advised Mayweather to raise the matter of imposing more stringent drug testing procedures with the State Commissions. The appropriate bodies, after all, had under their command adequate information and methods by which issues of that kind could be resolved.
Commenting on the botched negotiations, Arum said he could allow “the same people that test the National Football League players and the National Basketball Association players among others to do the tests because they are used to dealing with professional athletes and they (Mayweather’s camp) refused.” He went further: "The same USADA which tested nearly 200 American athletes (boxers, swimmers and track and field athletes) before they went to the Olympic Games took nil, zero, zero blood tests and they want to take seven from our little Filipino. Now what the hell is going on? ... Let the Nevada State Athletic Commission recommend. Nobody appointed Mayweather as super Commissioner.”
By the first week of January 2010, the dispute went through a mediation process that hardly changed the positions of either camp. The Mayweather camp yielded an inch by allowing a 14-day clearance (meaning blood will not be drawn 14 days before the fight). The Pacquiao camp, on the other hand, also yielded an inch by agreeing to a 24-day clearance. In the end, both camps still failed to meet halfway.
Pacquiao's representatives in the fight negotiations, mainly Arum, eventually shelved the Mayweather fight and went on to produce Joshua Clottey as Pacquiao's opponent for the March 13, 2010 fight date. For his part, Mayweather—by way of a fortuitous event that involved Shane Mosley (whose January 30 fight against Haitian Andre Berto had crumbled following the January 17, 2010 killer quake in Haiti—found himself zugzwanged in an unavoidable collision course versus Mosley.
Emmanuel Steward, Boxing Trainer:
To me, Manny is a real phenomenon. It's that he is so small and how he performs against bigger men, all of them tough. I'm talking about Morales, about Barrera and Marquez, even though Marquez gives Manny some problems in their matchup of styles.
I look at Manny as a lightweight and he's dominating the welterweights and now fighting at junior middleweight. His real weight, his true weight I think is 138 pounds. The rest of his pounds they just fill him up.
And another thing is that Manny does not dodge anybody. It's kind of crazy, all that a blown up lightweight has been accomplishing. He's been responsible for great fights against other great fighters.
Like I said, there's no ducking of anyone. And no handpicked opponents who they know he can win easy against.
(Roberto) Duran went up in weight, sure, but he was different than Manny. Duran was strictly a power puncher and guys who could box and move gave him big problems. This guy shows himself to be phenomenal because he can come in at you, take your punch and then clip you with that straight left hand.
Manny can catch you coming in. He's got real hand speed but he also dares you to trade punches with him. He's got his own rhythm and he he's got that unique quick step. Duran would just walk in, wade into you. Manny can do that but he moves so quickly it's hard for the opponent to nail him.
And so it came to pass: Pacquiao fought Clottey on March 13 at Dallas Cowboys, Texas, and Mayweather faced Mosley on May 1, 2010 at Las Vegas, both in the USA. Both Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr went on to defeat their respective opponents.
And yet, despite the on-going hoopla surrounding the two pairs of match-ups involving Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr, media continued to harp on the blood testing dispute that tripped the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight and its contentious backdrop: the charges of steriods use aimed by the Mayweathers at Pacquiao.
The weeks that followed Pacquiao’s dismantling of Ricky Hatton in two rounds in May 2009 saw Floyd Mayweather Sr (who lost no time in blaming Hatton for the debacle, saying Hatton failed to follow his instructions) making public his allegations that Pacquiao was on steroids.
Hatton earlier hired Mayweather Sr as Chief Trainer and Cornerman for the Pacquiao fight. Mayweather Sr launched his attacks through media interviews. And as he pressed his offensive, it became clear he also meant to put in doubt the authenticity of Pacquiao’s achievements inside the ring. The rest of the Mayweathers—notably Roger, Jeff and Floyd Jr, along with several other boxing personalities—also made public their opinion that, in jest, Pacquiao could not be the great fighter that he has become without the aid of PEDs.
For his part, Pacquiao dismissed the accusations as untrue. “I don’t even know what they (drugs) look like,” he said. Having been subjected to tests for banned substances in more than 9 years (from 2001 to 2009) that he has fought in the US, he had reason to be proud of his unblemished laboratory record. He felt thoroughly offended by the Mayweather-led assault on his name.
Claiming that he had a right to protect his integrity and affirm the value of the work he put into the sport, he decided—after weeks of tormented introspection (the charge sheet would say)—to eventually sue the Mayweathers, along with Golden Boy Promotions, for defamation.
Within days following the filing of the lawsuit in Las Vegas, USA, the Mayweathers modified their public attack: From Pacquiao on steroids to Pacquiao with magical potions.
Interviewed on Boxing Truth Radio, USA, Roger Mayweather said: “That mother***** is on the A-side meth, that's what the f*** he's on… It's called the A-side meth. He on that or he on something else. The A-side meth is what they used to have 500 years ago. Remember when the Philippines were fighting the US soldiers? They were shooting them motherf****s with 45s. And 45s were bouncing off their motherf**** ng a$$. They weren't even dying!”
But while such a contention may have lacked factual basis (for example: the American soldiers invaded the Philippines in I898, and not 500 years ago), it did not lack supporters. Floyd Sr joined brother Roger in bashing Pacquiao:
“He can't beat Clottey without that sh*t in him. Even though he was dehydrated, he couldn't beat De La Hoya without that sh*t. He couldn't beat Ricky Hatton without that sh*t and he couldn't beat Cotto without that sh*t. I don't even think he could beat that kid from Chicago [David Diaz] without that sh*t. He wouldn't be able to beat any of the guys without enhancement drugs, that's what I think. My belief is my opinion and you cannot change it. I know one thing, little Floyd will fight him fair.” He explained further: “It's not a steroid. It's something from the Philippines. Something they use in the army. When you hit the guy with a .45 or a .38 and they keep coming after they get shot. Whatever it is it has to be something strong for you to keep coming forward after you get shot.”
Floyd Jr himself had not run out of theses to indict Pacquiao. Several times he had been quoted by media as saying that Pacquiao “was an ordinary fighter who became a pound for pound sensation as he got older.” He went on to elaborate: “In a fighter's career, a fighter starts off good and he's good until the end of his career or a fighter starts off good and then goes downhill towards the end of his career. A fighter doesn't start off like Manny Pacquiao, just ordinary, and then once he gets over the age of 25 he becomes an extra-ordinary fighter. It just doesn't work like that in this sport of boxing… So I just want to know what is it really? That’s all I want to know, what is it really?”
Indeed, none of the Mayweathers could seem to figure out what it was. At first they thought it was because of illegal drugs. Then they thought Pacquiao was loaded with talisman.
What some people might have forgotten—and Floyd Jr included (obviously), is that there had been extraordinary fighters who started looking like ordinary boxers. Henry Armstrong, coming strong at number three in the all-time greats list which will be shown later in this book, was one of them.
Early in his career, Armstrong hardly made an impression he would go on to become one of the world’s greatest fighters. He had an average start: 4 losses and 5 draws in his first 23 fights. His next 21 bouts were equally unimpressive, again losing 4 times and drawing once. By this time, he had compiled a 30-8-6 win-loss-draw record in 44 professional fights.
Another example is Benny Leonard, who is also a consistent all-time greats lister. Leonard launched his professional boxing career at 15 in 1911, got knocked out in his first fight, but came back to become one of the greatest lightweights in boxing history. When the press minted the term “pound for pound champion” in the early 20th century, it was meant to refer to him.
But like Armstrong who would follow in his footsteps 3 decades later, Leonard struggled in the early years of his professional career. After 54 fights, he barely managed to win 28 of them, losing 11, and the rest were either draws or no contests.
We may also add Bernard Hopkins as another example. BHops started to make a mark as a fighter only in his late 30s. There are other examples. But what have been cited should suffice to raise doubts on the accuracy of Mayweather Jr’s claim that ordinary fighters could not rise to become extra-ordinary.
Many people will also find it inaccurate to say Pacquiao started out as an ordinary fighter. Despite losing twice (both inside the distance) early in his boxing career, Manny Pacquiao had compiled a boxing record that only Floyd Jr can describe as ordinary.
At 19, he was already a world flyweight champion. By direct comparison, Mayweather had yet to beat a world-class fighter at this age. As a footnote, though, Mayweather did win the Bronze Medal (Featherweight Class) at the Atlanta Olympics. (Both Pacquiao and Mayweather weighed 106 pounds at age 16, but Mayweather ballooned to 131 pounds at age 19 (compared to Manny who weighed 112 lbs at this age). The huge disparity in rates at which they grew as teenagers could be explained by their racially-defined genetic make up, and should not be by something else, in case one gets too wild with the innuendo that the Mayweathers might have been drugs users themselves.
Aside from the unprecedented levels of achievement that Pacquiao has scaled inside the ring, one may note that—for non-Filipino boxers in particular—he has a frightening knock out rate. Pacquiao's career knockout rate (wins inside the distance over total wins) is 76 percent.
But against non-Filipino opponents, his knockout rate zooms up to 90 percent. Thus only a Mayweather could reconcile the foregoing facts with the notion that, one, ordinary fighters cannot rise to become extra-ordinary and, two, Pacquiao was—early in his career—ordinary. At the very least, the data could suggest many things. And one of them tended to show that Pacquiao could knock out an opponent anytime he wanted to.
PACQUIAO VS MAYWEATHER 2
No, there wasn’t any bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr inside the ring, much less a second one. But due to pressure from boxing fans, and the promise of big bucks it offers those who work on the business side of the sport, at least two rounds of negotiations (depending on whose side of story telling the reader may want to believe) between the camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather took place. But both negotiations, as the public now knows, have failed to deliver any Pacquiao-Mayweather ring match-up. Pacquiao and Mayweather occupy the top two spots in almost all pound for pound lists today, and the public’s fascination for their live ring match up is in large measure driven by the need to answer the question of who is truly superior between the two of them.
The first round of negotiations took place in December 2009—following Pacquiao’s demolition of Cotto a month earlier (Mayweather had beaten Juan Manuel Marquez two months earlier). It went pfft, as has been discussed above, due to irreconcilable disagreements on the drug testing protocol. If there was one thing both camps did agree on, however, it was in seeking a third-party mediation.
The mediation succeeded in reducing Pacquiao’s demand for a drug-testing window (the period after which no further drug testing would be conducted heading to the day of the fight) from 30 days to 24 days. For Mayweather, this was not enough. He demanded that random tests be conducted as close as 14 days before the day of the fight.
The second round of negotiations supposedly took place between May and July of 2010—following Mayweather’s unanimous decision win over Shane Mosley on May 1 (Pacquiao had clipped Joshua Clottey two months earlier). This time Pacquiao was reported to have agreed to the 14-day window demanded by the Mayweather.
On the other hand, based on reports that may have been understood as saying different things, Mayweather ignored Pacquiao’s concession and in effect dashed, once more, the immediate possibility of any Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.
The Mayweather camp (represented by Floyd’s advisers and Golden Boy Promotions) later issued a statement saying to the effect that no second round of negotiations took place. The Pacquiao camp (represented by Top Rank Promotions), on the other hand, asserted the opposite: that negotiations did take place. It further went on record, mainly through Top Rank, that Mayweather’s fear of the Pacman and the legal problems its training team faced at the time, may have prevented Mayweather from signing the fight contract.
Probably concerned that the boxing public might have gotten tired of the disappearing Pacquiao-Mayweather saga, Ross Greenberg, the HBO president for sports, came out with a statement saying that negotiations between the two camps did take place.
“I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2nd, carefully trying to put the fight together. Hopefully, someday this fight will happen. Sports fans deserve it," Greenberg said.
As things stand now, it seems Manny Pacquiao is winning not only his ring battles. He is also poised, where the Mayweather tussle is concerned, to grab the credibility challenge title as well.
He has become more than a boxing hero.
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