Breaking News: Mayweather and Pacquiao Camps Reviewing an Agreement for Drug Testing

ESPN reported today (via Dan Rafael chat session) that there is an agreement on drug testing which is being reviewed by the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao camps at the moment. Stay tuned as this could finally get us close to completing the fight. Don't hold your breath though as anything can come up at any time. Remember we all thought the fight was originally done at the start of December but then the drug testing issue came up. Nonetheless, this would get us over the hump on the highly contentious drug testing issue even though the defamation lawsuit from Pacquiao against the Mayweather camp will likely not be retracted.

Mayweather and Pacquiao Camps Continue to throw Jabs

There were no major updates today, although a few sites are reporting that the fight is dead and Bob Arum is looking to finalize another fight. It's hard to believe we won't see any common ground established to make this mega fight. Fighting each other in the middle of the ring really is the next logical step for both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Only thing is that Pacquiao is a warrior and he will fight anyone so it's not out of the question that another fight be made for Pacman. However, it's impossible for me to imagine Mayweather wanting to fight anyone else - he basically came back for Pacquiao. Ultimately, Bob Arum probably has the biggest leverage and should win out in the negotiation. If not, he'll take another fight and wait until later in the year to make the Floyd fight. I'm sure both Arum and Manny have no problem with that. The problem for Floyd is that I don't see him wanting to wait - he needs this fight now. If the fight doesn't happen, Floyd has a lot more to lose. Ultimately, that fact should be the boiling point in the negotiation. Whatever the case, lets hope something gives.

Arum Willing to Speak to Pacquiao about Blood Testing Timeline

Bob Arum said he will speak to Manny Pacquiao about the blood testing timeline and whether they could do it later than 30 days before the fight. It turns out that HBO's "24/7" footage of the Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight showed Pacquiao taking a medical blood test 24 days before the fight (HBO reported it originally as 14 days but were proven inaccurate). Given that he has already done tests at 24 days prior to a fight, Arum might be able to tighten the timeline.

As for whether or not Manny will accept the day of the fight or within a few days of the fight is another story. I don't think that should make a difference. Whether Pacquiao does the blood test right after or right before the fight doesn't really make any difference. Either way, the test will take at least several days to conduct before a result is known. Given that, even if Pacquiao or Mayweather test positive the fight will have to be conducted whether or not blood is drawn right before or right after the fight. Hopefully, the fighters can agree now - especially if Pacquiao is willing to be blood tested a couple of weeks before the fight.

Arum makes Final Offer to Mayweather Camp

According to SI.com, Bob Arum has made his final offer to the Mayweather camp to save the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather super showdown. Arum proposed unlimited urine tests and a blood test in January and two more no later than 30 days before the fight. Arum also stipulated that there be a hearing on Jan. 19th to decide whether blood tests are even needed. He has always said his experts have told him that blood tests are "ridiculous". Regardless, it looks like Arum is ready to make the Paulie Malignaggi fight in the event the Mayweather fight doesn't happen on March 13th. He said the Paulie deal would take about an hour to make - no kidding!

In addition, SI.com reported that Arum gave them a deadline until this morning to accept his final offer. Wonder if there was any action this morning on it or not. Stay tuned ... this negotiation just seems to get more and more interesting.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Fight Still on the Ropes

The more discussion there is about Paulie Malignaggi against Manny Pacquiao the more I am starting to believe that fight might actually happen instead of the Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather fight. There isn't much time left until the Pacquiao vs Floyd fight scheduled for March 13th so if they don't work something out quickly the fight could very possibly be canned. Until, of course, they start up negotiations again after Pacquiao smokes Malignaggi. Let's hope we don't have to wait for that to happen. Problem is that the drug testing issue could result in a lot of discussion if Bob Arum is correct in saying he now wants to let the Nevada State Athletic commission handle the testing. There is no way they can do blood in time for March 13th so this could be a huge road block.

The Golden Boy and Mayweather camp will have to make a reasonable offer for blood testing such that it makes them comfortable about Pacquiao's conditioning but also doesn't bring Manny's demons about having blood drawn out in the light. I think Manny, being the warrior that he is, will accept such an offer. The only issue for Pacquiao is that he feels he will be at a disadvantage if he has to give blood right before the fight. Mentally he might feel more tentative in the ring if he thinks he's less able to take a punch, for example. That would make for a terrible situation - most especially for the fans.

Mayweather Camp Backs off From Initial Demands

Although the fight is still in danger of not happening as scheduled on March 13th, the Mayweather camp camp has backed off a bit by saying that they will accept anyone doing the testing and not necessarily the USADA (Olympic testing in the US). The problem still is that they want random testing and the negotiation now is down to time frame. The Pacquiao camp are still upset that they have to go through with this additional level of testing despite always abiding to the boxing commission testing standards. Mayweather wants blood testing and wants it to be random the Nevada state athletic commission does only urine testing and claim that is enough. All in all, the camps are still far apart and both sides are upset by allegations whether it be performance enhancing drugs or wanting to get out of the fight.

Pacquiao will be more motivated than ever to obliterate Mayweather based on his recent strong comments which are very unlike him. He has basically called out Floyd as a coward and told him things will be settled in the ring. That is very uncharacteristic of Manny but you have to imagine he will be hungry to lay a beating on Floyd based on these comments. Floyd loves to manipulate but this time it might backfire on him.

Manny Pacquiao suing Floyd Mayweather and his Team

Manny Pacquiao has decided to sue Floyd Mayweather and his team for defamation. The Mayweather camp has recently alleged that Pacquiao may have taken performance enhancing drugs despite have no evidence other than his great performance in the ring. Pacquiao has passed every drug test he has taken and denied taking anything abnormal let alone steroids. Pacquiao says that Mayweather's ludicrous claims have started to propagate into his fan base as many are asking him questions about drug use. He believes that his reputation is being unjustly tarnished.

The primary issue in making the fight has been the drug testing approach. Pacquiao is not comfortable giving blood close to the fight while he is okay doing urine tests at any time and giving blood immediately after the fight or any time in advance of the days leading up to the fight. Mayweather wants Olympic style blood testing which means they can take a blood sample right before the fight. Olympic style blood testing has had it's issues with some athletes being disturbed minutes before their event to give blood which can certainly put them at a disadvantage (mentally if nothing else).

Pacquiao has said he doesn't want to play mind games before the fight but let his fists do the talking for him. He even called Mayweather a coward who is scared to fight him in the ring but rather make up lies outside of it.

If nothing else, all of this generates more interest in the fight which, although at risk, is very likely to get made for next year. Bob Arum is saying that Pacquiao may fight Paulie Malignaggi to keep his March 13th fight date if the Mayweather mess doesn't get sorted out in time. Hopefully, that doesn't happen as the Paulie fight would do nothing for Pacquiao other than give him an easy filler fight until the Mayweather fight happens.

2009 Year End Boxing Pound for Pound List

Here's my pound for pound list for 2009:

1. Manny Pacquiao

Manny further solidified his legendary status in the sport by dismantling Miguel Cotto with a 12th round TKO. There really is no one else left for Pacquiao to fight other than a mega blockbuster fight with our number 2 which looks like it will happen March 13th (pending the drug testing issue).

2. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After a perfect shutout against the smaller Juan Manuel Marquez, there are still lingering unanswered questions about Mayweather's desire to fight a truly legitimate challenger. That's not to say Marquez wasn't legitimate. It's just that Marquez was much smaller. Now is the time for Floyd to step up and fight Manny Pacquiao which is what he seems to be doing (despite the drug testing distraction).

3. Bernard Hopkins

Bernard's most recent win showed that he still has a lot left. He dismantled solid journeyman Enrique Ornelas after a long lay of since his wipe out of Kelly Pavlik. However, an expected showdown with Roy Jones Jr. will not happen since Jones was KO'd in the first round by Danny Green. Hopkins options now are Lucien Bute, Danny Green and Tomasz Adamek. All are decent fights so lets hope one of them gets made.

4. Juan Manuel Marquez

Marquez doesn't lose much after a tough loss to Floyd Mayweather in a fight way beyond his weight class against a fighter who came in two pounds over the agreed upon limit. Not to mention - his opponent was the former pound for pound king and current number 2. Marquez will now need to stay busy and take an easier fight. Ricky Hatton looms but he will need time to get back into shape.

5. Paul Williams

Despite his close fight with Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams is still underrated. Although that is slowly changing with his victories over Winky Wright, Antonio Margarito, Verno Phillips and Martinez along with his versatility across weight divisions. Williams' biggest challenge is to attract fights with top opposition given his lack of drawing power and the risk he poses in the ring. Kelly Pavlik is a great example of the difficulty Williams faces in getting top fighters in the ring. Pavlik has been seemingly ducking Williams for most of 2009.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Disagree on Drug Testing Approach

Floyd Mayweather and his camp have recently demanded Olympic level drug testing before the fight with Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is okay with drug testing but doesn't want testing on the day of the fight he is okay with it at any other point or after the fight at any time. However, Olympic drug testing policies require random tests at any time. This has created problems for Olympic athletes who have been forced to take drug tests the day of their events. Such last minute random testing can seriously throw off an athlete mentally on the day of the event. Manny Pacquiao wants to avoid that altogether. Floyd and his camp are claiming this is the highest standard so they should be willing to abide by it but at the same time Pacquiao has a good reason to be against that exact approach. The bottom line is that both fighters are okay with drug testing but there is a disagreement over the approach. There are rumors flying that Mayweather doesn't want the fight or Pacquiao is ducking more stringent testing. Anything is possible but at the end of the day the fight has to be made. Earlier today Bob Arum countered with the drug testing approach of the NBA and NFL which is different from the Olympic approach. Only time will tell who will back down first to allow this fight to happen on time.

Scott Smith Upsets Cung Le

Cung Le smashed Scott Smith for almost 15 minutes before getting caught by a sneaky left hook that wobbled him. Smith jumped on Le and made sure to end the fight. Le looked great until that point of the fight - he was battering Smith with kicks and punches the entire fight. Le's defense was also very strong. He dodged almost everything Smith had to throw at him. The fight was all but wrapped up when Le got a little careless with his defense and even wasted a ton of energy picking up and slamming Smith for no reason. He paid dearly in the end by taking his first defeat. In other action, Jacare took out Matt Lindland in a great display of submission mastery. King Mo Lawal also won his fight and established himself as a top challenger in the light heavyweight and maybe even heavyweight division. All in all, things look great for Strikeforce as they have also recently announced signings of Dan Henderson and Bobby Lashley who are sure to make a big impact in the sport for the promotion.

Cung Le Returns Tonight

Cung Le will take on Scott Smith tonight on CBS as part of the Strikeforce Evolution card. Smith could be the stiffest challenge the popular Le has ever faced. Both are strikers so expect this to be an explosive and exciting fight while it lasts.

The best part is that it is free on television! Expect better than expected numbers for this fight simply due to the fact that it is Cung Le and free.

Scott Smith has solid power and can test Le's chin with one punch. Le will need a more consistent effort and good defense to win this fight.

In boxing action, the disappearing Kelly Pavlik takes on an unknown fighter (Miguel Espino) tonight. Instead of fighting Paul Williams, Pavlik has elected to take an easier fight and duck Williams. Hopefully, the fight happens at some point but that depends entirely on Pavlik's desire to take on Williams.

Amir Khan may get Paulie Malignaggi in New York City

Amir Khan's first fight in the US may come against Paulie Malignaggi in New York city. However, before that can happen HBO plans to have a double header with Khan and Devon Alexander fighting on the same day on March 6th 2010. Khan will likely be fighting in England against someone yet to be named.

In other news, it looks like Juan Manuel Marquez will be fighting Ricky Hatton next. Unless Hatton can convince Oscar De La Hoya to come out of retirement expect Marquez vs Hatton to happen before mid next year. Hatton is currently huge and way overweight. He'll need time to get back into shape. Marquez is still hunting after Manny Pacquiao but will certainly take a big fight with Hatton while Pacquiao settles the pound for pound score with Floyd Mayweather.

Vitali Klitschko beats unheralded American

Heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko defeated American Kevin Johnson yesterday. The Klitschko brothers are lacking a serious challenge and no one expected Johnson to pose a threat at all. David Haye chimed in quickly indicating that Vitali had yet to build a legacy in the boxing having only a loss to Lennox Lewis as a legacy building fight.

Haye will be fighting John Ruiz next year and then look for a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers. The goal being to beat both Klitschkos and be recognized as the undisputed heavyweight champion. For now, the Klitschkos sit atop the heavyweight division until someone can knock them off.

In other action, junior welterweight king Timothy Bradley won a big fight against Lamont Peterson. With Manny Pacquiao out of the division Bradley has to look no further than Amir Khan or Juan Manuel Marquez for potential challengers. His brand value is low so it will be interesting to see where he lands up next.

BJ Penn Dominates Diego Sanchez

BJ Penn proved once again that he was in a different league from his competition. Penn destroyed Diego Sanchez in a fifth round stoppage (due to a severe cut from punishment). Sanchez was not in Penn's league and couldn't do anything to even challenge Penn. Penn's stand up was far superior and Sanchez wasn't anywhere near able to take Penn down. The trouble now is that there is no competition left in the UFC at lightweight for Penn. There is a real challenger outside of the UFC in Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki but it's not clear what would have to happen for those two to get in the ring together. Nonetheless, this was the prodigy's night as he showed his place in MMA history is solid.

In other action, Frank Mir quickly chocked out Cheick Kongo after landing a blistering right hand to put Kongo on the floor. Mir is looking for a rematch with Lesnar and seems to be better than ever after this victory. Kenny Florian also took out Clay Guida in a superb performance earlier in the night.

BJ Penn Gets His Biggest Test at Lightweight against Diego Sanchez Tonight

Diego Sanchez is undefeated at lightweight. BJ Penn is the ruler of the lightweight division and hasn't lost at lightweight for an eternity. Both are very talented. Penn is considered the prodigy of MMA. The fight has the making to be an instant classic. Expect Penn to control the fight but Sanchez will make it interesting. Penn is now focused where he should be - at lightweight. BJ has moved up and down in weight even challenging Lyoto Machida at light heavyweight at one point in his career (and losing a close decision). He seems to be content at ruling the lightweight division for now. Diego Sanchez should provide enough of the challenge needed to keep Penn focused and interested. Don't miss this one.

Dan Henderson signs with Strikeforce

Middleweight MMA star Dan Henderson has finally signed on with Strikeforce after several months of negotiations with both UFC and Strikeforce. It was thought he would re-sign with the UFC where he had been most of his recent career but instead he will now be at Strikeforce and looms large as solid competition for Gegard Moussasi (light heavyweight) and Jake Sheilds (middleweight). Henderson even said he would challenge Fedor Emelianenko at heavyweight. The Strikeforce lineup has now become even stronger. Henderson will get a lot of television exposure as well on CBS. It will definitely be interesting to see a Henderson - Shields or Henderson - Moussasi fight. Both would be amazingly interesting fights at either middleweight or light heavyweight. Henderson said Moussasi is a guy you could be pegged to beat Anderson Silva. Moussasi is widely considered the future star of MMA.

Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather is on for March 13th 2010

It seems from recent news reports that both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have accepted a proposal to fight on March 13th, 2010 at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs. Mayweather had accepted initially and Pacquiao accepted later after a few tweaks according to Bob Arum. I would have thought that Pacquiao aim to have the fight weight limit set at 145 lbs or thereof instead of the full limit given his size disadvantage. Nevertheless, this is a great fight between two of the best fighters in boxing, in fact, the top two pound for pound fighters in the sport today.

The terms of the agreement have not been shared yet and very few details are available. The fight will be contested using 8 oz. gloves which should favor the smaller more powerful Pacquiao and somewhat counteract the weight limit being more favorable to the bigger Mayweather. Pacquiao is running for office in his homeland and will focus on that after the fight which has been said to be the reason for the quick turnaround on the fight. Hopefully, Pacman isn't too distracted with other things while he prepares for Mayweather and recovers from a tough Cotto fight. He'll need to be at 100% to dethrone the undefeated Floyd. This fight is expected to be the richest ever in boxing but without a doubt will be huge. I certainly can't wait.

Khan get first round TKO; Williams wins tight decision

Amir Khan demonstrated blistering speed and power against an outclassed Dimitry Salita. Khan knocked Salita down with a vicious left-right combo at the ten second mark of the fight and never looked back getting a first round TKO. Khan's speed was way too much for Salita and, although, this was an expected end result no one expected it to be this quick. Khan should be a handful for anyone at junior welterweight as he now moves on to spar with Manny Pacquiao to prepare Pacman for his upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather.

Paul Williams also won his fight against Sergio Martinez earlier today in what was an extremely close fight. Martinez elevated his stock despite losing. The good thing for Williams is that this might entice Kelly Pavlik who has dropped out of scheduled fights with Williams this year.

Amir Khan vs Dmitry Salita Tonight

Amir Khan will defend his junior welterweight title tonight against Dmitry Salita in England. Khan is expected to win easily against a largely untested Salita. Of course, Khan is not taking this tune up lightly with Salita being undefeated. Also on the under card is Breidis Prescott who is taking on an up and coming British lightweight. This looks like a very entertaining card overall so check it out if you can.

Roy Jones KO'd and Hopkins wins easy

Bernard Hopkins beat Enrique Ornelas tonight in a tune up fight. Hopkins easily outpointed the journeyman in a virtual shutout and looked great in the process. Roy Jones, unfortunately, did not have the same result. Jones was knocked out in one round against Danny Green in Australia earlier in the day. It is now very unlikely that Hopkins and Jones will have their rematch early next year. For Hopkins, a change in direction might now be needed. The only obvious fights are against Tomasz Adamek or Chad Dawson. There is also David Haye but he has two committed fights for next year. Certainly, a heavyweight clash with David Haye would be the biggest fight out there. Adamek is probably the safest fight and Dawson is the obvious light heavyweight fight. It's really up to Hopkins on what he decides to do at this point in his career. He's almost 45 years old. Dawson would be the most competitive fight but isn't necessarily the biggest fight for Hopkins.

As for Jones, this was another tough knock out for him. Unfortunately, he couldn't get it done against Green in Australia (which was Green's home country). Not sure Jones wants to continue fighting but I suppose a fight with Hopkins is always possible and would still be a decent draw if he wants it.