Follow us on Facebook

Pacquiao relents on blood testing

by setanta.com staff , 22 May 2010

Manny Pacquiao has agreed to an Olympic-style drug testing programme for his proposed bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.


The pair had been scheduled to meet to meet in March but the fight collapsed over Mayweather's demand that the United States Anti-Doping Agency have the power to ask either participant to undergo a blood test right up until the eve of the fight.

However, Pacquiao has now revealed that he is willing to have a blood sample taken as little as 14 days before the bout, having previously stood firm on a 30-day cut-off point.

"I have agreed to it, but they should not draw too much blood," the Filipino told ABS-CBN.

"They should only take what is necessary for the drug test."

Pacquiao is now hoping that the much-anticipated bout, which would almost certainly be the richest in boxing history, will finally go ahead.

However, he reiterated his suspicion that Mayweather was merely using the doping issue to scupper the proposed showdown between the two finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

"He will no longer have a reason (not to fight)," Pacquiao said of his climbdown on the blood tests. "Let's see if that is really the reason."

Subscribe Now
Live sports online on Setanta-i
Setanta Facebook
Sign Up
tv highlights

May 29, 2012

4:45 pm ET   Final Chennai v Kolkata

All the action from the Indian Premier League Cricket 2012.

8:00 pm ET   Toronto FC v Pumas UNAM

10:00 pm ET   Sportsnet Connected

Keep up to date with Sporting News from around the globe.

Premium Sports Canada

Setanta Sports broadcasts exclusively live coverage of the best premium sport including Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup,  nPower Championship, Carling Cup, Russian Premier League, Heineken Cup, Tri Nations, RBS 6 Nations, Aviva Premiership, Super Rugby, Gaelic Sports and much more.

Edit Web Part Contents