Mayweather declines $5-million fine for failed drug test
Boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, walk away from each other after posing for photos during a news conference, Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Los Angeles. AP
MANILA, Philippines—The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is happening but it doesn’t mean that the boxers’ camps are gelling along well.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told ESPN.com on Friday (Manila time) that Mayweather has declined to agree to a stipulation that would cost either fighter $5 million in the event of a failed drug test before and after their welterweight unification bout on May 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“Today we were informed that Mayweather turned down the request,” Koncz said. “Manny had requested that there would be a reciprocal fine of $5 million for a failed drug test.”
Koncz added that all the agreements for the fight are signed, there are separate papers that will allow the United States Anti-Doping Agency to oversee random blood and urine testing for the fight as they were still discussing fines on whoever tests positive for banned substances.
READ: Pacquiao to pay $5M fine if he fails drug test for Mayweather bout
It was Mayweather’s attorney Jeremiah Reynolds, Koncz said in the same interview, that sent a letter to Pacquiao’s attorney David Moroso declining to enter a financial stipulation for a failed drug test.
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions and the boxer’s close adviser, also told ESPN.com that Koncz should have included the financial penalties on the main contract.
“Michael Koncz is an idiot, and Manny Pacquiao should be ashamed to have him as his representative in my opinion,” Ellerbe said. “It’s obvious he didn’t read the contract. Why would he have his fighter sign something he was not happy with? The deal was negotiated up and down by his promoter (Bob Arum of Top Rank) on behalf of Manny with Floyd and Mayweather Promotions, and it’s been well documented in the media for quite some time.”
“If this moron didn’t convey his fighter’s wishes when the negotiation was going on that’s their problem. This is a lame-ass attempt to generate publicity.”
It was the issue of drug-testing that has put initial talks of a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather fight that could have happened in late 2009 or early 2010.
Even before, the two camps have agreed to all negotiations but everything fell apart when it came to drug-testing issues.
Mayweather wanted an Olympic-style blood and urine testing but Pacquiao declined the option and the deal went to trash.
Not long after that, Pacquiao sued Mayweather of slander and defamation when the undefeated American said the Filipino was using performance-enhancing drugs to which Pacquiao denied.
Their case was settled off the courtroom with Mayweather paying Pacquiao and undisclosed seven-figure sum.
“They have made derogatory statements for years about Manny (supposedly using PEDs) and now we challenged them by asking for the $5 million fine, and they refused to do it. It’s disheartening,” Koncz said.
Mayweather and Pacquaio have submitted themselves to different agencies for their drug-testing for their bouts.
READ: Pacquiao undergoes random blood, urine testing
“Money” requires himself and his opponents to undergo tests that the USADA oversees since 2010 while Pacman has sometimes used the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association to randomly test him and his opponents.
For the welterweight unification fight, Pacquiao agreed with Mayweather to undergo tests with the USADA and they also signed contracts with the agency about three weeks ago.
READ: Manny, Floyd agree on drug tests
Koncz said that Pacquiao didn’t negotiate the fine into the master agreement as the eight-division World Champion did not want to jeopardize the delicate negotiations.
Also, Koncz told ESPN.com, that the fighters both knew that they would have to sign separate agreements from the USADA to outline the specific terms of the testing.
“We were still discussing the penalty. We’ve been going back and forth about it for the past three or four weeks. We hoped that we could sign that agreement around the same time as the agreement with USADA,” Koncz said. “[The Mayweather camp] is saying, ‘Why wasn’t it brought up for the main contract?’ Why does it have to be brought up for the main contract? Everything in the main contract pertains to the co-promotion and the promoters. You can argue all day if [a penalty agreement] should be with the USADA contract or the main contract. What do you have to lose or gain in that argument? It’s a simple thing— if you fail, you pay the other guy $5 million. The issue is simple—are you willing to agree to a penalty of $5 million? The drug-testing terms and any penalty, that’s between the fighters not the promoters.”
“We have no recourse. We can’t force Floyd into something. But we gave them an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and they wouldn’t. I won’t speculate why. To me there is no legitimate argument. We know we’re clean. That’s why Manny said he would pay $5 million if he tested dirty. Manny was surprised [Mayweather refused]. He can’t figure out why they wouldn’t agree to it when Floyd is always talking about cleaning up the sport of boxing.”
Ellerbe said that it would take more than $5 million if Pacquiao tests positive.
“All parties signed a contract agreeing to every term. Where has this idiot Koncz been? It sounds like he didn’t read the documents they signed. No wonder why his fighter is always confused. It sounds like that idiot is suggesting there’s a $5 million price tag if Manny comes up positive. That sounds suspicious. All I know is we welcome random testing as we always have,” Ellerbe said.
