BOXING:FLOYD MAYWEATHER says he still wants to fight Manny Pacquiao on March 13th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but the Filipino is reported to be putting his WBO welterweight title on the line against Joshua Clottey, possibly on that date at that venue.
Pacquiao’s original stand-in was Yuri Foreman, who was to defend his WBA light-middleweight title at the nearby Thomas and Mack Centre on March 20th. However, several US websites, some wire services and the Facebook page of Top Rank, the company of Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, yesterday claimed Pacquiao was switching to the tough Ghanaian Clottey.
If true, it is a curious choice, even though Foreman and Clottey are both Arum fighters. Clottey is the sort of opponent champions avoid. He is 32 and has lost three times in 39 fights, his latest last June against Miguel Cotto, who was utterly dismantled by Pacquiao in November. Clottey is a former IBF welterweight champion and a mere sideshow to the main drama.
It is yet to be established if the fight would go ahead on March 13th, as Mayweather apparently has the MGM Grand booked on that date for a fight against the New York light-welterweight Paulie Malignaggi.
After the opposing sides in the Pacquiao-Mayweather row walked away from talks in front of an independent mediator in Santa Monica this week, Mayweather said: “Throughout this whole process I have remained patient but, at this point, I am thoroughly disgusted that Pacquiao and his representatives are trying to blame me for the fight not happening when clearly the blame is on them.
“First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao, I want to whip his punk ass.”
Mayweather said he offered a compromise but Pacquiao refused to bend.
“Before the mediation, my team proposed a 14-day, no blood-testing window leading up to the fight. But it was rejected,” said Mayweather.
“I am still proposing the 14-day window, but he is still unwilling to agree to it, even though this is obviously a fair compromise on my part as I wanted the testing to be up until the fight and he wanted a 30-day cut-off.
“The truth is he just doesn’t want to take the tests.
“Manny Pacquiao and his team are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever. I know the people will see through their smokescreens and lies.
“I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight.”
Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, said on the fighter’s website: “The whole blood-testing issue that Mayweather wants from Manny is just a facade to get Mayweather out of this fight. Right now Manny is terribly disappointed. We did everything the Nevada Athletic Commission regulates.
“Even though it was out of their jurisdiction, we had the Olympic committee take urine samples from Manny’s home just last week and those results will be in next week.
“Manny knows this is the fight of the century. He knows this is what the fans want. Manny is standing on principle here. The money in this fight is not going to make Manny lose his principle, and that is what it comes down to.
“This is exactly why he will not break for these guys. Manny will not bow down to these people who think they can just change the rules and make Manny jump through their hoops.”
Daniel Weinstein, the retired judge who presided over discussions between representatives of the fighters this week, claimed “many reports are incorrect”, without being specific.
In a long-winded statement, Weinstein did little to clarify the situation, apart from criticising leaks of the talks. “In the end,” he said, “the parties could not agree on a testing protocol acceptable to all.”
Guardian Service
