Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s respective camps have dropped the gloves and are no longer playing nice in the media. Upon reports of Mayweather rejecting a proposal for a $5 million fine for a failed drug test ahead of their May 2 super fight, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe pulled no punches when he insulted Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz.
"Michael Koncz is an idiot, and Manny Pacquiao should be ashamed to have him as his representative, in my opinion," Ellerbe told ESPN.com. "It's obvious he didn't read the contract. Why would he have his fighter sign something he was not happy with? The deal was negotiated up and down by his promoter [Bob Arum of Top Rank] on behalf of Manny with Floyd and Mayweather Promotions, and it's been well documented in the media for quite some time.
Koncz has since responded to Ellerbe's harsh comments, and said the reason that the penalty wasn't worked into the main contract were fears that they wouldn't complete it in time for the fight to happen on May 2. Pacquiao has been accused publicly by Mayweather in the past of using performance enhancing drugs and has actually taken legal action. The matter was settled out of court, with Mayweather paying Pacquiao a sum of at least $1 million.
"They have made derogatory statements for years about Manny [supposedly using PEDs], and now we challenged them by asking for the $5 million fine, and they refused to do it. It's disheartening," Koncz said.
"We have no recourse. We can't force Floyd into something. But we gave them an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and they wouldn't. I won't speculate why. To me there is no legitimate argument. We know we're clean. That's why Manny said he would pay $5 million if he tested dirty. Manny was surprised [Mayweather refused]. He can't figure out why they wouldn't agree to it when Floyd is always talking about cleaning up the sport of boxing."
As if expecting accusations that perhaps Mayweather's talk of stringent testing was some kind of smokescreen for himself, Ellerbe made sure to note that Mayweather has been tested three to four times already since he has begun training.
[ESPN]
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