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For now, it may appear to be the case.
Drug testing seems to be the KO punch for the fight of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Tentatively scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the fight was to have been on HBO PPV, a sure blockbuster many believed would break the all-time pay-per-view record of 2.44 million buys set by Mayweather’s 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya.
A last-ditch attempt at mediation between Top Rank and Golden Boy, which represents Mayweather, failed to reconcile the two parties’ opinion on the drug-testing protocol.
Arum plans on moving forward with Pacquiao facing Foreman, who won his 154-pound title on the Nov. 14 undercard of Pacquiao’s 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto to win a welterweight belt. Pacquiao would move up in weight to try to win a title in his eighth division.
Mayweather meanwhile, may be potentially fighting against former junior welterweight champ Paulie Malignaggi.
Boxing fans who have been following the on-off-on again-off again developments of this whole drama are still hoping though, that in the end the two top pound-for-pound best boxers will finally settle everything in the ring.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed. How about you?
The Philippine Daily Gazette 