By Mark Vester
The biggest fight in boxing is now on the table. Manny Pacquiao dominated Joshua Clottey over twelve rounds at Cowboys Stadium in March. Floyd Mayweather Jr. dominated Shane Mosley on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There are two issues at hand, the issue of money and the random Olympic-style drug testing. The two sides sat down earlier this year and the two fighters could not agree on the cut-off date for the random drug testing. Following the win over Mosley, Mayweather said the Pacquiao could not be made without the random drug testing being involved.
"If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight,'' Mayweather said. "If not, no fight.''
According to several reports, Pacquiao watched the fight in the Philippines and afterwards spoke to Manilla radio station DZBB. Pacquiao said that he's willing to agree to the random blood testing, but only if the blood testing has a cut-off date of 24-days.
"For me, as long as the drug test is not done close to the match, I'll agree because if they'll get blood from me close to the match, it will be a disadvantage for me because I'm smaller and he's big,'' Pacquiao said.
The negotiations fell apart earlier this year when Mayweather refused to give Pacquiao a 24-day cut-off on the testing. Mayweather wanted a 14-day cut-off. The next time they negotiate, the deal could be harder to make. Mayweather, according to past interviews, will no longer consider a testing cut-off. He wants the testing to continue until the fight.