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.