August 7, 2011 | 3:44 pm

Manny Pacquiao & Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Battle Outside the Ring

Posted by Ilana Angel

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. & Manny Pacquio

I love Manny Pacquiao.  Love him.  While not a long time fan of the sport of boxing, I love to watch Manny in the ring.  He is magical.  Not only as an athlete, but also as a human being.  I tend to be attracted to Jewish men who are older and taller than me, but when it comes to Manny, I think all 5’6” of his 33 year old Filipino self is fantastic, and he is my celebrity crush.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is also a very magnetic man. I don’t know much about boxing, and only became interested in it because of my interest in Manny, so I can’t really speak about the sport, but Mayweather is also very impressive.  These men are giants in their field and in reading about their relationship, I find myself getting sucked into all the fabulous drama.

People who follow boxing want these men to fight.  They have been talking about it for years but it has never happened, and does no look like it will anytime soon.  With both standing to earn millions and millions of dollars, and neither one agreeing to the terms of the fight, it seems to be less about the boxing and more about the egos of these two great fighters.

From what I can gather, the main issue is drug testing.  Manny is willing to do the drug test, but only in the Philippines, and not within 3 weeks of the fight.  Mayweather wants them to undergo drug testing in the States, and for it to happen up to a week before the bout.  Are we to assume Manny is doing enhancement drugs, which makes the testing such an issue?

The USA drug testing company does not test outside of the United States, and Manny will do his training in the Philippines, so I get that there are complications, but could Manny not come over for a day to get tested?  Could the drug testing agency here, not send someone to the Philippines to get the blood sample and then return and do the testing here?

Could it be that at the end of the day they just don’t want to fight each other?  Is the risk too high in terms of being the loser?  If they are both at the top of their game, is $50 million dollars enough money to potentially ruin your record as a champion?  Is it, at the core, a love of the sport and keeping a tight grip on the work and legacy that has been created?

I love Manny.  He is a brilliant boxer, a hero to millions of people, and the most beloved man in the Philippines.  I am of the opinion that if he were to get in the ring with Mayweather he would win.  That said, he appears to be trying really hard to make sure that never happens.  The more he finds reasons to not fight, the more I question what he is afraid of.

Mayweather’s father is calling foul with the rules and restrictions that Manny is putting on the drug testing, and surprisingly, I think he might be right. Mayweather’s team is not asking for anything unusual.  They want a fair fight, they want it here in the States, and want to follow the rules of US drug testing. What’s the big deal?  Am I missing something? Just do it.

If I am not understanding the big picture, and someone can explain it to me, please do.  From where I’m sitting, as a fan of Manny and is starting to appreciate the sport, it looks to me like Manny might be wrong on this one.  The negotiations need to come to an end and they just need to fight.  Both will still be heroes, and only egos will be tarnished by a loss.

I love Manny and would like to think there are reasons he is not fighting that have nothing to do with drug testing.  Manny has a fan in me and if there is a good reason for me to be on his side, then I will be. However, he needs to give me a reason because his asking us to take sides, without reason, is not going to fly. Why not fight Manny?

Floyd and Manny are impressive men and it will be awesome if they fight each other one day.  I just hope it happens while I still care.  My money is on Manny, but Floyd has my vote for handling the negotiations better. Will these men man up, own their skills, and agree to the fight with fair drug testing terms?  I’m keeping the faith.