Pacquiao Jabbed by Skeptics

By Marty Sanchez

There is one fight in boxing that every fan of the sport would pay big bucks to see — Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. These two men are at a level so high above the rest that every other boxer in the same weight class is basically fighting for third place. If the fight were to happen, it would arguably be the biggest boxing event in history, with both fighters potentially making over $50 million each. So why haven't these two boxers stepped into the ring together? It comes down to a simple drug testing issue.

Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win eight world titles in eight separate weight divisions — an amazing accomplishment. For Mayweather and the critics, Pacquiao's accomplishments seem a little too amazing. However, Pacquiao has passed every drug test administered on him by the Nevada Athletic Commission, and it was not until Mayweather accused him of taking performance-enhancing drugs that people began to doubt Pacquiao's legacy.

Mayweather wants Pacquiao to undergo blood tests leading up to the potential mega-fight, a requirement that has never been a part of boxing. In Mayweather's words, "You see (Muhammad) Ali, you see Sugar Ray Leonard, you see all these fighters, even myself; you say from the beginning, he's going to be great. A guy doesn't (turn) 24 or 25 and just become great." So is Pacquiao's rise to fame legitimate or does Mayweather have a case?

Pacquiao won his first world title at age 19 and Mayweather won his first at 21. This contradicts Mayweather's statement that Pacquiao abruptly rose to greatness when he turned 25. Clearly, Pacquiao was already a rising star early in his career. By age 25, Pacquiao had already become a three-time world champion in three different weight classes. On the other hand, Mayweather had only won two world titles in two weight classes by the age of 25. Although Mayweather has never been defeated, it can be argued that Pacquiao had in fact accomplished more than Mayweather by the age of 25.

Also, both fighters weighed in at  107 pounds by age 16. Mayweather had risen to 154 pounds when he fought Oscar De La Hoya in 2007. Pacquiao weighed 151 pounds when he defeated Antonio Margarito in 2010, but after the fight admitted that he felt too heavy and proceeded to return to welterweight (147 pounds) soon thereafter.

So are Pacquiao's accomplishments out of the ordinary? Most definitely. But they are no more extraordinary than those of Mayweather. Pacquiao has stated publicly that he is willing to take the tests in order to give the fans the ultimate fight. So what is stopping this fight from happening now? Personally, I believe Mayweather is scared. Not of Pacquiao himself, though. Mayweather has been boxing since a very young age, and it would be foolish to think he is scared of anyone in the ring. His true fear? That he may finally lose that goose egg in his personal record.