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COLORADO SPRINGS, USA – Boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao have agreed to undergo Olympic-style random drug testing prior to their May 2 mega-fight in Las Vegas.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Friday that both fighters will have to make themselves available for random urine and blood tests and provide USADA with an itinerary of their travels.
“It’s a strong statement of the importance of clean and safe competition to have these two fighters voluntarily agree to have a WADA level anti-doping program implemented for this fight,” said USADA chief executive Travis Tygart.
“We commend them for their stand for clean sport and the message it sends to all those who want to compete clean at the highest levels of all sport.”
Tygart said the fighters have agreed to the rigorous rules established under the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), with a positive test resulting in a 4-year ban from competition for the offending, reports the Los Angeles Times. Such a ban would effectively end the careers of the 38-year-old Mayweather and the 36-year-old Pacquiao.
Tygart said USADA would also perform drug testing after the fight and that the samples would be examined for human growth hormone (HGH), erythropoietin (EPO), and utilizing carbon isotope ratio (CIR).
Drug testing was an issue during previous negotiations for a fight in 2010. Mayweather accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs which Pacquiao denied. The Filipino boxer then sued Mayweather and the two settled out of court.
Mayweather (47-0, 26 knockouts) first began using USADA before his 2010 fight with Shane Mosley after the first fallout of negotiations with Pacquiao. Mosley had previously admitted to a grand jury that he had used EPO prior to his rematch with Oscar de la Hoya.
Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 knockouts) of General Santos City, Philippines had used random testing prior to his bouts with Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri, both of which took place in Macau.
The Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is expected to shatter pay-per-view and live-gate records.
– Rappler.com with reports from Ryan Songalia
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