Drug testing has always been a major issue when it comes to discussing a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., and that remains the case even with the fighters set to square off in less than a month.
On Wednesday, Pacquiao’s publicist Fred Sternburg told reporters that the Filipino fighter has already been drug tested six times by the US Anti-Doping Agency six times in advance of his bout with Mayweather.
As we learned last month, Pacquiao has agreed to pay Mayweather $5 million if he fails a drug test before the fight. Mayweather refused to sign off on the same failed drug test penalty because Pacquiao’s camp did not negotiate it into the original contract.
The US Anti-Doping Agency is overseeing all urine and blood testing leading up to the May 2 fight, so it’s probably safe to assume that Mayweather has been tested just as much (or close to as much) as Pacquiao. There is a record amount of money attached to the bout, and Pacquiao vs. Mayweather negotiations have crumbled in the past over drug testing. They really can’t be too careful this time around.
