Testing for Mayweather v. Pacquiao fight
The guidelines agreed to are those from the World Anti-Doping code, the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list and the US Anti-Doping Agency protocol for Olympic and Paralympic testing. They have agreed to random (unannounced) out of competition testing between now and the fight date and to being tested once the fight is over.
In 2009/10 when the two sides failed to negotiate a fight deal, the testing was a sticking point. Mayweather’s manager at the time, Leonard Ellerbe, said there would be “no fight without Olympic-style random drug-testing” and that Pacquiao was not agreeing to such testing.
It was a major impediment to the fight and Pacquiao’s side said Mayweather used it as an excuse to back out of it. Pacquiao’s manager, Freddie Roach said at the time that while they agreed to a test after the fight, they did not want a strict version of Olympic testing because he did not want his fighter being subjected to an intrusive test too close the fight.
“I will not let my fighter take a blood test the day before a fight,” Roach said in December of 2009. “If they give me a five-day window or something like that I have no problem with it.”
USADA commends both boxers
This time, however, there seems to be no issue between the two camps regarding the manner of testing and the chief executive of the USADA, Travis Tygart, said today that the superfight agreeing to rigorous testing is a big win for sports.
“It is a strong statement of the importance of clean and safe competition to have these two fighters voluntarily agree to have a Wada level anti-doping program implemented for this fight,” Tygart said. “We commend them for their stance on clean sport and the message it sends to all those who want to compete clean at the highest levels of all sport.”
The two fighters have met face-to-face twice, once in Miami in February and once more in L.A. on Wednesday in the first and only press conference held to hype the fight. Mayweather has returned to Vegas and to his training regime while Pacquiao is back to his in L.A.
Their third face-to-face meeting will come in the ring on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.