Manny Pacquiao demands punishment for Floyd Mayweather and rematch over anti-doping row
Philippine icon says he was treated unfairly because the Nevada body refused to let him use a Usada-approved painkiller for the fight
Philippine boxer Manny Pacquiao called for punishment and a rematch on Friday after his fierce rival Floyd Mayweather Jnr was accused of violating anti-doping rules in the build-up to their mega-fight in May.
The eight-division world champion, who lost a unanimous decision to Mayweather in Las Vegas, urged Nevada sports officials to “impose the appropriate sanction” on the unbeaten American.
Mayweather and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) have both insisted the boxer’s actions were legal after it emerged he was injected with vitamins and minerals before the fight.
That is why I want a rematch. One without any injury and with fair play. No favouritism
But Pacquiao questioned why Usada only informed the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) about the infusion three weeks after the bout, by which time Mayweather had already received a Usada exemption.
“Are they hiding something? For the sake of fairness and for the good of the sport, NSAC must be consistent,” he said at his home in the southern Philippines.
“If needed, the NSAC should impose the appropriate sanction to sustain its credibility and to show the world they did not give preferential treatment to the Mayweather camp,” he added.
A report on the SB Nation sports news website said Mayweather had broken World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) regulations by having an IV infusion at his home in Las Vegas on May 1, the day before the fight.
