Mayweather and Pacquiao agree to 4-year ban for PED test fail
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have volunteered to undergo random, comprehensive, out of competition testing, with a four year ban for failure.
When negotiations between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao faltered in 2010, Mayweather claimed Pacquiao used performance enhancing drugs. Pacquiao sued, and is reported to have collected around US $5,000,000.
This time both sides agreed to random, unannounced, comprehensive (urine and blood), out of competition testing, conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. And according to Lance Pugmire writing for the LA Times, both sides have agreed that a PED test failure will result in a four-year ban from the sport.
In 2013, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced an extension of bans for doping offenses, from two to four years. The second test failure is a ban for life.
“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.”
For Mayweather, 38, and Pacquiao, 36, a four year ban from boxing would be a catastrophic loss. Mayweather said he anticipates nine figures for 36 minutes of work.
Mixed martial arts needs to clean up doping more aggressively than does other sports, as it is a hurting game. If MMA wants to end PED use, a four year ban for the first offense will do it.
