By John F. McKenna (McJack): The debate as to whether or not Pound for Pound Champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) is, or ever has used Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDS) is endless.

Quite frankly the constant accusations and denials over the past couple of years has gotten tiresome. Its like, can’t we get onto something else? But unfortunately the debate will go on forever, or so it seems.

Boxing fans desperately want to see the iconic “Pacman” fight the other Superstar in boxing, Floyd “Money” Mayweather (41-0, 25 KO’s). And the reason the fight has not happened as of yet is that Mayweather wants Pacquiao to subject himself to Olympic style random drug testing. “Money” claims that his intent on insisting that everyone he fights “take the test” is because of his crusade to clean up boxing. Floyd is not picking on Manny, he just wants everyone he fights to be on a level playing field with him. It must be pointed out that no boxing commission requires the type of testing that Floyd is requiring of anybody who fights him. Shane Mosley took the test and apparently Victor Ortiz will be taking it as well for his September 17 match up with Mayweather.

Let’s cut to the chase with regard to the type of testing Floyd is requiring of Pacquiao. More than likely there will always be an issue with regard to the testing. Manny wants an impartial body to do the testing while Floyd is satisfied with the USADA performing the testing and the debate goes on. As soon as one obstacle is removed two more pop up.

There are observations we can make of athletes in the past who have allegedly been linked to steroids. Without mentioning any names we all have a pretty good visual picture of what a steroid uses looks like and it’s effects on the athlete taking them. We have not seen any baseball player hit anything close to 70 home runs lately.

We can expect an athlete on anabolic steroids to be aggressive, irritable, quarrelsome, suspicious, and agitated, coupled with mood swings and fits of rage, hence the term “Roid Rage”.

Steroid use has also been linked with delusional behavior, depression, impaired judgment and incidents of domestic violence.

Yet we do not see any of those symptoms exhibited by Manny Pacquiao who is constantly surrounded by masses of people and frequently involved in public functions.

Manny’s larger size over the years has also made some people suspicious, but here again the claims do not hold water. Fifteen years ago Manny was 17 years old and weighed 108 pounds. One needs to take into account the impoverished conditions that “Pacman” came from. He was literally homeless as a youth and came off the streets in a country where poverty is a way of life. To put on 40 pounds over a period of 15 years is not unusual when all of a sudden you are exposed to good nutrition and a conditioning program designed to put on muscle.

There are those who will say that Manny Pacquio is taking PEDS no matter what and some who want to believe that he is. Even if Manny took the test and came up clean his detractors would probably say that the test was rigged. That’s just the way it is.