Pacquiao, Floyd Jr better with random drug testing

The chief executive officer of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said that athletes tested within a 14-day window prior to a big match or a tournament can still cheat and get away if they are into performance enhancing drugs. It is for this reason, according to USADA CEO Travis Tygart, why the anti-doping body is advocating the use of random drug testing procedure, allowing them to conduct blood and urine tests anytime of the day. The USADA is a non-governmental agency responsible for the implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code in the U.S. "If you know you aren’t going to be tested within the last 14 days, you can cheat and get away with it," Tygart said in an interview by award-winning veteran sportswriter Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. "If you block out a period of time and say we can’t test during that period, then an athlete could cheat and get away with it." The USADA official’s statement came two days after Manny Pacquiao, the current top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, suggested that he’s willing to take a drug test as close as to two weeks before a fight. Pacquiao’s turn around raises optimism that his botched but still highly-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. will finally happen by the end of the year. Initial negotiations for the bout, many see would go down as the biggest and richest ever in boxing’s history, bogged down following disagreements on the drug testing procedure both fighters will undergo leading up to the fight. Mayweather is insisting on a random-style testing which the USADA has been conducting since 2000, while Pacquiao earlier maintained that testing should stop at least 24 days before the fight, although the 31-year old Filipino is willing to be tested again shortly after the match. Pacquiao has since softened his stance, agreeing to be tested as late as two weeks prior to the fight, but not during the fight itself. He also said only a small volume of blood should be taken, citing his experience in 2005 when a large amount of blood was taken from him before facing Mexican Erik Morales in a featherweight title fight, which the Pacaman later lost. But USADA said it won’t allow anyone to impose any time frame on them especially when it concerns drug testing. Incidentally, USADA did its final blood testing during the Mayweather-Sugar Shane Mosley slugfest at least 18 days before the two squared off in the ring on May 2. “It is our right to test at any time, 30 days before the fight, 20 days before, the week of, the morning of – that provides the deterrent," he said. Mayweather definitely agrees with it, pointing out that he demands blood testing all the way up to fight day. Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions made it clear where the camp stands right now. “Random is random," Ellerbe said. “It could be at any time. That’s what random means. I will say this: If and when Floyd Mayweather decides to fight again, random blood and urine testing will be part of it. Period." – JVP, GMANews.TV