By Kasim Aslam: Shane Moseley vs Manny Pacquiao showed that respect and sportsmanship still exists between fighters from there dire fight on May 8th. Touching gloves at every opportunity frankly annoyed some spectators but generated a clear insight as to the mutual respect for one another. Yet in today’s era there is evidence to suggest that sportsmanship is on the decline through sour and devious accusations of cheating.

The resurrection of this topic has come from the allegations made by former WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto through social networking site Twitter. In which he accuses eventual winner and WBC champion Victor Ortiz of taking performance enhancing substances prior to their fight. Berto had ruined the aura that had surrounded his incredible fight with Ortiz on April 16th with a series of bitter tweets in which he states “Let me clear the air now!! You’re right there is a reason why Ortiz had so much energy, a reason he could take my heavy shots and keep ticking” followed by “here is a reason why he came into the ring 165 pounds. I know people close to him and his camp and I know exactly what he was taking.” These increasingly prominent accusations have come 6 weeks after the fight and questions the motives of Berto.

On the same day that Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao reached a settlement from the same accusations made by Berto it is difficult to see why boxers would risk criticism with baseless arguments. Floyd Mayweathers camp has continuously blown on Pacquiao for his phenomenal rise and dominance through the various different weight classes as well as Jean Pascal calling out Bernard Hopkins with the same type of allegations. What’s clear is that losing has become far more difficult to take and the phrase ‘Take it like a man” is irrelevant to many boxers.

The accusations could stem from the fact that boxing is in an new glamorous phase where money and the celebrity lifestyle has integrated itself with the sport to the extent that losing would feel like humiliation in front of the world’s most admired people and the presence of the dominant media. Or it could be that these boxers are a just a bunch of sore losers. In terms of Berto it could be through his flamboyant personality that will not allow him to accept his defeat and Hopkins age could be the factor as to why Pascal could not accept his defeat.

Whatever the situation sinking low to accuse an opponent without any facts or evidence is disgraceful and could result in humiliation which Oscar De La Hoya elected to publicly apologies for accusations made about Manny Pacquiao. Instead of moaning many boxers should take the example of De La Hoya’s case and actually take a loss on the chin (no pun intended) and bounce back. As for Ortiz he took the accusations with a light heart by replying “Berto needs to stop. I’ll have to hurt him again. Me, I guess [I’m] not too bad for not having a heart or courage. ;)”

Anyway here’s hoping that we don’t have to see these types of wild accusations again but rather some good boxing as the likes of Berto, Pascal and Mayweather are a bunch of extremely talented boxers.