By John F. McKenna (McJack): The head games between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KO’s) continues unabated. You get the feeling that even if a way was found to make the fight happen, one side or the other would foul up the works.

It is pretty close to being a self fulfilling prophecy where both the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps are saying that the fight won’t happen because the fight won’t happen. It’s maddening and makes absolutely no sense.

What you have is two very strong willed individuals who refuse to budge from their positions. Once Floyd Mayweather Jr. insisted that anyone who fights him must subject themselves to Olympic style drug testing the road towards any meaningful negotiations
Immediately went downhill. The testing that Floyd is insisting on is not required by any boxing commission. The Mayweather camp followed their own brand of drug testing requirements with endless insinuations and innuendo that Manny Pacquao has achieved his status as an eight division champion through the use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDS).

Pacquiao then followed up with a defamation lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions were originally named in the lawsuit but were dropped after making a public and written apology to Pacquiao.

Of course all the posturing about taking or not “taking the test” is more complicated than it would seem at first glance. Manny Pacquiao is a gentle man, but just as Floyd Mayweather is a proud and prideful man, so is Manny. To allow Floyd to usurp the boxing commissions dictate the terms as to what kind of testing is to be performed goes above and beyond what a fighter should be permitted to do. It also sets a bad precedent under the guise of “just wanting to clean up boxing.” Psychologically it also puts Floyd in the driver’s seat. Manny Pacquiao is not going to play that game.

Manny Pacquiao recently let it be known that he is secure with his legacy and does not need Floyd Mayweather. He also said that he will only be fighting for another year or two after which he will devote himself to helping the people of the Philippines through his political career. Winning eight division titles, several fighter of the year awards as well as being the generally acknowledged Pound for Pound king Manny insists is enough for him.

The recent announcements by Pacquiao are designed to set the super egocentric Floyd Mayweather back on his heals, in particular his comment that he really did not need Floyd to secure his legacy. Floyd will undoubtedly fire back with his own salvo.