Mayweather vs Mosley
NICK GIONGCO
Manny Pacquiao continues to fantasize about getting his hands on Floyd Mayweather.
Two days after proving he is boxing’s No. 1 fighter, Pacquiao told the Filipino press on Monday that facing Mayweather, the former holder of the mythical title of pound-for-pound king, is the fi ght that he badly wants next.
“(Besides) It’s him that I really want to fi ght,” said Pacquiao at his two-bedroom unit at the Palazzo in La Brea in the presence of his posse when told that his trainer Freddie Roach is training his sights on Mayweather.
Early this year, it appeared that Pacquiao and Mayweather were on their way to a collision course after representatives of the two fi ghters agreed on key points during a meeting.
But before Pacquiao’s promoter Top Rank and Mayweather’s representative Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) were about to come out with an announcement, news broke out that Mayweather wanted one more thing before deciding to sign above the dotted line.
Mayweather wanted he and Pacquiao to undergo random Olympic-style drug testing to “level the playing fi eld”, according to Mayweather’s adviser Leonard Ellerbe, even though Pacquiao had never tested positive for any banned substance.
Pacquiao’s people tried if Mayweather can agree on a compromise on the testing issue but the US fi ghter refused to relent, forcing Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum to dump Mayweather in favor of Clottey.
Arum told the post-fi ght press conference at Cowboys Stadium that for the fi ght to fi nally take place, Mayweather has to do away with his demand for Olympic-style testing.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is fl ying to Honolulu from here, on Thursday for a concert there this weekend.
Pacquiao, who is running for congressman in Sarangani province, is expected to be in Manila early next week.
Source: tempo.com.ph
