Mannix: Notion That Pacquiao Ducked Mayweather Fight Over Steroid Testing Is False
BOSTON (CBS) - Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti live at the MGM Grand in Vegas to preview Mayweather-Pacquiao.
One of the questions Felger brought up was this notion of drug testing, and how Manny Pacquiao's refusal to submit to Mayweather's demands were the sole reason behind this fight being five years too late.
"These guys said back in 2009 they made a mistake. They had a deal. Everything was agreed to and everything was signed up on . . . then then drug testing came in. Top Rank, their promoter, thought it came in too late and that [drug testing] was a Mayweather ploy," said Mannix.
"Pacquiao said he didn't want to do drug testing, Floyd wanted it all the way up to the fight. It wasn't just the issue, it was that the issue created a nasty war of words that just spiraled, and once that happened everything was poisoned throughout."
Chris Mannix acknowledges Manny's stubbornness cost boxing fans of the fight early on, but ultimately gives the biggest slice of blame pie to Mayweather.
"What they say is Manny doesn't like to take blood before a fight. In 2005 he took blood before a fight -- I think it was against Erik Morales -- and he was weak the day before the fight.
"Freddie Roach has said they made a mistake. But from 2010-on they agreed to whatever blood testing Floyd Mayweather wanted. That, to me, is concrete and set in stone. From then on it's on Floyd. In 2009 Pacquiao blew it. From 2010-on Mayweather blew it."