FLOYD YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CAN'T HIDE

Floyd Mayweather and his cohorts have just shot themselves on the foot. Their drug testing issue against seven division Champion Manny Pacquiao has definitely backfired. If this is going to be PBF’s “escape goat” then so be it. What can you expect from someone who has dodged quality opposition in the past and recently even went overweight against Marquez on the scales (and paid the fine) despite his size advantage?

Hereunder are just few of the major reasons why it’s a losing battle for PBF:

1. Manny is clean and has “raw power”. I’ve seen and observed Manny fight ever since he was a flyweight. Back in those days he was still fighting under Blow by Blow where his manager and the late Rod Nazario (my former partner in In This Corner-the longest running boxing show in the country) painstakingly built his career. Back then Manny relied much on his raw power as speed was common in the lower weight divisions. His vaunted left straight was already devastating and decked majority of his opponents. It is said that in one sparring session in Cebu he even dropped a former Japanese OPBF welterweight (147lbs) champion, even if he was only 116 pounds then. Manny has since then carried that power as he moved up in weight and can knock you out with either hand. Thanks to Freddie Roach he is now a complete and more dangerous fighter.

2. No other fighter works like Manny. I remember former super flyweight and former bantamweight champion (who happens to be my neighbor) Gerry “Fearless” Penalosa say “Hindi ko kaya ang ginagawa ni Manny” – “I can’t do what Manny does” referring to his brand of training. Both Manny & Gerry train under hall of famer Freddie Roach. The Pacman in training is like a mean unstoppable machine. In his last fight I remember Bob Arum say “ In contrast to Manny’s training Cotto was like taking a vacation…It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen”. Manny trains for 17-20 straight rounds on the mitts with Freddie with no timeout and puts in about 4 hours of training each day. Believe me, no other fighter in the planet trains like Manny Pacquiao.

3. Manny is a Spiritual fighter. Whether you are an atheist or not, one thing’s for sure: Spiritual fighters have made their mark in boxing history. The sport’s entourage of spiritual fighters includes the “Real Deal” Evander Holyfield; George Foreman and the list go on and on. Manny’s discipline goes beyond the physical. He believes in God and fears him. That is why these accusations of doping are really hard to believe. Observe every fight, Manny gives honor to God before the start, during the fight and right at the end of every fight. It is not easy to fight a spiritual fighter as two forces are at work against you. One in the physical and one in the spiritual realm. Some pundits even think that Pacquiao's power is a spiritual one since he fights for both God & Country.

4. His making a mockery of the NSAC. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has a system of checking doping in place. Keith Keizer it’s executive director has stated categorically that: "All I can tell you is that Pacquiao, every time he's fought here (in Nevada,) has been tested, as well as his opponents. He passed every drug test we did to him, every steroid test we did to him." Come on, Floyd is American and he should trust the very institutions that has placed him where he is. Just because somebody has gone beyond every possible expectation doesn’t mean that he has thwarted the system. Floyd, the burden of proof is with you. Do you have any evidence? If you don’t have any then shut up! Don't let people use you to justify why they got defeated.

I have come out of the open to say that Manny is clean based on my experience with him and what I know. Chances are he has never touched and will ever use any performance-enhancing drug. What for? He has already etched himself in the annals of boxing history as one of the greatest fighters ever.

As for Floyd, I must honestly say he is still Manny Pacquiao’s biggest threat. Mainly because he is not as hittable as Manny’s previous opponents. PBF has both the defensive skills and the offensive armament to give Manny a lot of trouble. It is just so sad that he has taken this kind of ill-advised publicity stunt. Floyd, don’t run away from a good fight, although you’ve always been known to be a runner. Take the fight inside the ring where your fists will do the talking.

PBF you can run as much you want but you can never hide.