By Chris Williams: Bob Arum has reportedly agreed to the random blood testing that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has asked for before he’ll accept a fight against World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.
However, Arum says that he doesn’t want the USADA to be the one conducting the tests for performance enhancing drugs, and instead wants what he calls a “Neutral organization” to do the testing. I see that as a deal breaker for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather negotiations, because Mayweather trusts the USADA, and wants them specifically to do the testing because he believes in them.
If Arum is going to pick out an organization himself to have Pacquiao tested, I seriously doubt Mayweather is going to be on board for that. What’s the use of agreeing to Mayweather’s Olympic style testing if you’re not going to go with his testing organization, which is highly respected by the way. Do you think Mayweather is going to be okay with an organization that Arum picks out for his own fighter? I don’t.
I think this is going to cause Mayweather to be suspicious and not want to make the fight. I don’t see why Arum doesn’t just agree to have the USADA do the testing. It seems silly. You’ve got the fight in the palm of your hand by agreeing to the testing that Mayweather wants, but then you blow it by saying you want to find a different organization to do the testing. I think that’s how you mess up negotiations. Arum needs to let Mayweather find an organization and go from there.
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