New drug clause threat to Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout

Tensions appeared to be rising around the long awaited welterweight world title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, with the fighters’ camps reportedly at odds over a proposed doping penalty.

Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday he was “a little puzzled and dismayed” Mayweather wouldn’t agree to the US$5 million penalty Pacquiao had proposed should either fighter test positive for a banned drug.

Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe, however, told the newspaper the drug testing protocol for the May 2 fight in Las Vegas had been “rigorously negotiated” by Pacquiao promoters Top Rank.

In comments to ESPN.com, Ellerbe called Koncz an “idiot”.

“If this moron didn’t convey his fighter’s wishes when the negotiation was going on that’s their problem,” Ellerbe said. “This is a lame-ass attempt to generate publicity.”