Boxing is a blood sport, but the impasse holding up the megamatch between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. borders on laughable.
While the Mayweather camp has come up with a set of demands for random blood testing before the bout, Pacquiao's side has countered with its own list of agreeable tests. The blood feud, which could scuttle the proposed March 13 bout in Las Vegas, has both sides seeing red.
Or so they said as they traded accusations last week.
But what this really is all about is nothing more than mind games. Because, with the fighters likely to earn between $25 million and $40 million for the richest fight in history, both camps are seeing green. Hey, Mayweather's nickname is, after all, "Money."
It's all about the dough, and a little testing issue is not going to interfere with putting this one on. In fact, once the match is made, you can expect to see even more gamesmanship.
If Pacquiao wants red gloves, Mayweather will insist on black. Get the picture?
You can't put a fight together without each side insisting on its right to bully the other.
Make a deal: The other fight that has to come together next year is the highly anticipated bout between WBC/WBO middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik and dangerous challenger Paul Williams.
After Pavlik's lopsided win against Miguel Espino in Youngstown on Dec. 19, his side was agreeable to finally facing Williams, an opponent Pavlik twice had to back away from because of an injured left hand.
Dan Goossen, Williams' California-based promoter, said his fighter is ready to go as well.
"Paul Williams would like nothing better than to give Kelly Pavlik another shot to get into the ring with him," said Goossen in an e-mail to The Plain Dealer. "No nasty remarks from us. No name calling. No spinning. Quite the opposite."
Well, let the lovefest begin. Then again, what good is a fight without nasty remarks and name calling?
Amateur show: Cleveland's West Side Boxing Club has a card set for the Brook Park Armory, 6225 Engle Road, Brook Park, on Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets in advance are $15 general admission, $20 ringside table and $25 VIP front row ó $5 more at the door. Contact coach Bill Godhard at 440-785-4900.
Pro show: Former radio personality Antonio Castro and partners are getting into the promotional business. Their Warner Promotions will put on its first club show at Grays Armory, 1234 Bolivar Road, Cleveland, on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.
The tentative lineup has Cleveland fighters Dante Moore, Julius Leegrand and Wilkins Santiago on the card. Ringside tables, VIP ($75) and general admission ($28) tickets are available. Call 440-258-8117.
Still undefeated: Cleveland lightweight Mickey Bey Jr. improved to 15-0 with his eighth knockout, a first-round stoppage of Donnell Logan (11-19-2, 6 KOs) in Knoxville, Tenn., on Dec. 19.
History: On Dec. 30, 1970, Sonny Liston was found dead in Las Vegas at age 38.
Famers: The International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., has added another induction class, with featherweight Danny ìLittle Redî Lopez, manager Shelly Finkel, commissioner Larry Hazzard, Associated Press reporter Ed Schuyler and matchmaker Bruce Trampler among the notable.
However, it was good to see that Cleveland-raised fighter Lloyd Marshall finally made the Hall's ranks. After going 202-17 as an amateur, including Cleveland Golden Gloves titles in 1934 and 1935, he went 64-24-4 (32 KOs) as a professional.
In 17 bouts against 12 champions or former champs, he won nine of them. He had wins against Ezzard Charles, Jake LaMotta, Freddie Mills and Cleveland's Joey Maxim. Marshall died in California at age 83 in 1997.
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