Ever since WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather parted ways with Top Rank promotions, his relationship with his former handler, Bob Arum, has never been the same. The two have traded insults over the years, but Arum upped the ante in a recent interview with ESPN 1100, comparing Mayweather to notorious Adolph Hitler publicist, Joseph Goebbels.
"For two years [Manny] Pacquiao has said that he will take any drug test whoever administers it so why is that still being talked about by Mayweather?" Arum said. "You see, Mayweather is from the school of propaganda that Joseph Goebbels, who was Hitler's publicist, adopted. The more you say things over and over again the more people believe them. The fact is clear that Pacquiao has agreed to unlimited drug testing so that is not an issue, and for two years everybody agreed that the proceeds would be split 50/50. Now there's an excuse and he doesn't want to split it 50/50 so we say 'okay here's the deal. Let's make it 45/45 to each fighter and then 10 percent, the missing 10 percent goes to the winner."
While it is true that Mayweather refused to grant Pacquiao a 50/50 split, Arum isn't being completely honest about the drug testing issue. Given the backlash Pacquiao received from hardcore boxing fans for refusing to undergo Olympic style drug testing (OSDT) during previous negotiations with Floyd, the Filipino congressman has softened his stance, but he refuses to let the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) administer the tests.
"We have agreed in the Pacquiao camp to unlimited random testing done by a responsible, neutral organization," Arum said during the last round of negotiations between the two camps. "We don't believe USADA is a neutral organization."
For those who aren't familiar with the USADA, it's the official anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic sports in the U.S. Suggesting that an independent organization like the USADA is somehow partial towards Mayweather is simply ridiculous, and it's just another tactic to prevent the fight from happening.
I can't say I blame Arum for trying though, considering the fact he's been very successful at convincing the general public that Mayweather is to blame for the failed negotiations. Without a doubt, Arum is the biggest obstacle preventing the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout, and I don't think the fight will ever happen until Manny parts ways with him. After all, Mayweather-De La Hoya and Mayweather-Cotto didn't happen until Arum was removed from the picture.
David is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing practitioner that has watched and studied MMA for the past 7 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.
Sources:
Chris Fedor, "Bob Arum: "Mayweather is from the school of propaganda that Joseph…"
Phil D. Jay, "Arum: Pacquiao Will Take The Tests, Not With USADA"
Fight and fighter information from BoxRec.com
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